Orlando Bloom / Reader
- Hello? you said tentatively as you answered your phone. It was a rainy morning in London and since you had forgotten to turn your phone on mute before going to sleep, the sound of your ringtone woke you up. You cursed yourself silently for being so careless but you decided to do your best to hide your deep state of tiredness and irritation from the caller… whoever he or she was.
- Hello. Is this Liv? the caller, a man, asked with a soft, somewhat familiar voice. You however were still half asleep and therefore you wouldn’t have been able to even recognize your friend’s voice if she had called you from a number that had not been saved to your contacts, which was the case now; this number was not familiar to you. You did not usually even bother to answer to those “unknown” calls because they usually were just telemarketers who tried to trick you to buy something that you did not really even need. “You are too soft” your friend, who had worked as a telemarketer had said many times and he was right, in a way; you were kind and considerate and it was not your style to hang up the call unless the caller was being rude or too… slick… or “slimy” as you put it.
- Erm, no, this is (Y/N). you replied after you had cleared your throat. The reason why you were still in bed was that you were currently sick which had forced you to leave work early yesterday since your temperature had started to rise quite fast in the afternoon. You had visited a nurse who had given a document stating that you had to rest for the next three days, which was a good thing because now it was Wednesday and it meant that you had five days to get better since you had always weekends free anyway. You listened to the silence and just as you were about to ask who the caller was he said
- Oh, I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion.
The man hung up before you were able to say that it was fine and there was no reason to be sorry… although the truth was that you were somewhat happy that the caller had ended the phone call because your throat hurt when you tried to speak. You put the phone away after checking out the time; it was twenty past nine and even though you could have continued sleeping, you decided to get up and make yourself some tea instead. It would surely help with your hoarse voice and aching throat.
You got up from the bed approximately fifteen to ten and walked into your kitchen. You did not have a big apartment because living in London was expensive. You had moved there a couple of months ago when you had gotten a job as an assistant at the Anjuna –office. The job was interesting and you got to meet rising DJ’s and music producers almost daily, which had opened an exclusive view to the EDM-scene… even though your job was mainly handling office-tasks, such as arranging meetings and handling post, there was a great atmosphere at the work place and never a dull moment. Even the salary was fine…. yeah, it was the high price level of living in London that had forced you to get a compact studio apartment 15 minutes away from the city centre by the underground.
You sipped your drink cautiously and after emptying the small kettle in thirty minutes your throat started to feel better. You enjoyed the warmth as well as the nice kind-of-numbness which was at least a huge improvement to the ache. You got your phone, a big blanket and sat yourself down to your sofa. You had planned to sleep, watch movies and maybe chat with your friends… or just slip into a coma if your temperature started to rise again.
You hated the fever. You hated it very much because it made your muscles ache and it also made you shiver violently, almost as if you had been freezing. Yep, that was what had happened yesterday and it had not been fun. The worst part with high fever was that it made you feel so cold that any amount of blankets couldn’t help you. Suddenly your phone rang again. Yet once more you answered it without knowing who the caller was, mostly because you were bored and wanted to test your voice; would it carry or break instantly?
- Hello? you answered and wrapped the blanket more tightly around yourself. You hoped that it had not been a mistake to answer the call; you were not in the mood to listen to sales pitches or incredible, irresistible offers that were valid only today and blah-blah-blah.
- Hi. the man replied. You recognized the voice, or actually didn’t, but you realized that it was the same guy who had called you earlier, about an hour ago.
- I’m still not Liv. you replied and rolled your eyes although the man was unable to see your gestures.
- I know. the man answered. You got a feeling that the man was smiling, somehow you were able to hear the smile in his voice and it made you smile as well.
- Right. you commented with an amused tone.
- So… Why are you calling me then? Didn’t Liv answer? you asked curiously, yet amusedly.
- She did. the man replied.
- Uhuh. you commented with a tone that had a hint of slight, involuntary jealousy in it. The man had an attractive voice; soft and deep… familiar somehow and now that you were talking with him again, you couldn’t help feeling a little jealous at Liv-whoever who got a chance to have conversations with this stranger on regular bases… Maybe she was the girlfriend…
- Jealous? the man asked suddenly with a mischievously playful tone.
- No! you exclaimed with a scoff. You were a bit embarrassed that the man, whom you did not even know, had been able to read your tone so well. The man chuckled a little and then, after a pause he said with a curious voice
- So… tell me something about yourself.
You started to laugh nervously until the laughter faded into an awkward silence. It did not make any sense that the guy who had dialed a wrong number by an accident was now actually calling you and asking you to tell something about yourself to him. You were speechless for a moment as you tried to figure out what to say; would you just tell the guy your age and occupation or would you tell him that you had moved to London few months ago and were sick at the moment. Why was the stranger interested anyway?
- Come on, tell me something. the man repeated with an encouraging voice. You took a deep breath and then decided to tell him something about yourself; that you lived in London and worked in a record label –office and even though you were just an assistant you loved your new job very much because every day was different and your coworkers were friendly and likeminded with you. After talking for quite a long time and answering many questions you suddenly started to cough. You excused yourself for a moment and put the phone on the coffee table that was in front of your sofa. You hurried into the kitchen and drank some water, coughed your lungs out again and then finally returned to your phone.
- Are you alright? the man asked. He sounded very concerned, worried even, which you had not anticipated; you had basically expected him to hang up during your absence but for your surprise he had stayed and waited patiently.
- Just a stupid flu. you replied and wrapped yourself into the blanket again.
- Tell me that you are staying home today. he said with the same concerned tone. Now he sounded even firm and assertive which gave you an impression that he was going to teleport himself to your apartment to make sure that you actually took it easy.
- Yeah. I have the rest of the week free from work. you answered with a hoarse voice. Your throat was aching again and reminding you about the fact that you shouldn’t have been talking so much in the first place. You decided to put the kettle on and this time drink some hot blackcurrant juice with fresh ginger, just to give you a nice boost of vitamin C.
- Is someone going to take care of you? A boyfriend perhaps? the man asked curiously. You chuckled a little because you were actually single; you had been dating somewhat seriously before moving to London but it had been quite obvious that there was not going to be a future for you and your ex.
The breakup had hurt at the time rather a lot but then you had become very busy, and consciously kept yourself as well as your mind occupied with arranging your life so you would be able to move to London; there were so many things to take care of, like getting an apartment to move to for example. The relationship had ended over six months ago, exactly the day when you had gotten the letter of acceptance from Anjuna –people. It had been a shame that the day that had been supposed to be a day of celebration had suddenly turned into a day of heartbreak and tears.
However, even though it had hurt much you had known that this was the life that you were supposed to live and although it most likely sounded selfish, you had chosen an interesting career and new surroundings over your boyfriend because he had given you an ultimatum; stay with him or go… but if you chose to go, he would not be part of your life anymore. You had loved the guy despite all your differences, or that was what you had assumed… Now that you thought about it, it felt quite obvious that you had just settled with the idea of having someone… even when the person had not been the right for you… you just had been too caught up to see it.
- Are you there? the man asked because you were not saying anything. He was worried that he had opened a some kind of wound or touched a raw nerve and just as he was about to apologize, you cleared your throat and said
- No, just me. you replied and sniffled. You were over the relationship but thinking about it made you sometimes question your choices; had you been terribly selfish and thoughtless, were you a bad person because you had chosen to chase your dream and change the scenery?
- I am not sure if I like it. the man commented with a slightly disapproving tone.
- Oh, don’t be silly. I’ll be fine. you answered and asked about him for a change. The man told you that he was working in the entertainment industry and lived in London, just like you did. He however tried constantly to change the subject by asking you questions about your life, almost like he had not wanted to tell you anything about himself; even telling his name to you seemed to be a massive struggle.
- It’s… Jonathan. he said finally when he was unable to ignore the question anymore.
- Jonathan. you repeated with a smile on your face. You had put the phone on hands-free and you were now checking your emails on your computer as you continued talking with the stranger on the phone. You noticed that someone from the office had sent you an email with a MP3-file attached. The subject of the email was “get well soon” and the sender was your boss. You downloaded the file and started to listen to it; it was a new single from a DJ-duo called Gabriel & Dresden, a song named “Waiting For Winter”.
You continued talking with Jonathan about everything; music, movies, interests… He told you about his childhood and you told him about yours. There was plenty of laughter but despite of joking, it was strangely easy to share conversations about serious or otherwise profound topics as well. You even told him about the breakup and how you had been forced to make a choice between your dream-future and your relationship. The caller listened very carefully and stated that he was completely sure that you had made the right decision. “I suppose” you commented with a thoughtful tone. Jonathan listened to the silence for a moment and then said “I am sure about it” with a soft, kind tone that was also reassuring and therefore it made you smile. You walked into your kitchen and put the kettle on again; you had been sipping hot drinks the entire day just to keep your voice from getting too hoarse or fading away completely.
- Besides, I wouldn’t be talking with you if you had stayed there. he added somewhat cheerfully. You walked back into your living room and sat down to wait for the water to boil.
- That is indeed true, Mister… you said with a tone that communicated that you were waiting for the man’s surname.
- Bloom. the man said instantly.
- Jonathan Bloom. you spoke and leaned back, closed your eyes for a moment and listened to the song with a smile on your face. The man leaned back in his armchair and smiled as well. It was strange how in the beginning of the call every silent moment, including even the shortest pauses, had felt awkward but now… after several hours of almost uninterrupted conversation, it did not feel awkward or uncomfortable to be silent for even longer times, like minutes. The thing was that you were both imagining, or trying to imagine, what the other person looked like, what it would be like to talk face to face… would it be just as natural or would the spark be completely missing? It would be such a disappointment if there was no spark live. Maybe it was better not to even think about such foolish things… meeting face to face-
- Would you like to go somewhere? Jonathan asked suddenly. You recoiled from your thoughts instantly and swallowed once as you tried to figure out what to answer; on the other hand you were intrigued but then again you were also afraid that the illusion would get broken and that there would be no magic between you two after all. The truth was that you liked the man… you had actually developed a sort of crush for him, although you were well aware that there was no rational reason for that; you did not know the guy even though it felt like you had always known him… It felt like he was the piece of your puzzle that had been missing… the person that you had always missed without even realizing it.
- Like… for a casual dinner? he added because you were not saying anything and it was making him nervous.
- I would love to but… you replied and gasped silently.
- But? the caller asked.
He had been thinking about the same thing as you but decided that he had to meet you face to face. However your “but” echoed in his mind and made him insecure; what if you got shocked when you met him and found out who he was? What if… you did not find him attractive? What if there was no spark? His thoughts were interrupted when you excused yourself again and started to cough your lungs out once more. You had been coughing very much during the phone call, but the man had been too caught up in his own head to remember.
- Ah, the flu! he stated immediately with an apologetic voice. He scolded himself silently for forgetting such a big thing; you were sick and therefore you shouldn’t even leave the bed.
- Yeah. you sighed with a husky voice and cursed silently that you had gotten sick from the chilly, humid London air… and not washing your hands well enough after moving around with the public transportation.
- What is the time? the man asked.
- Almost five pm. you answered after checking out the time from the computer screen. You had been listening to the song on repeat for three hours, although most of the time you had not been even paying any attention to it. It was a beautiful song, relaxing… dreamy… it had suited the afternoon very nicely as a background theme for the conversation. Jonathan counted the hours in his mind; he had talked with you six and half hours but it had not felt like a long time at all.
- How about I’ll bring you dinner? he asked suddenly.
- What? you asked with an amazed tone. You were not sure if you had heard him right.
- You live in London, yes? he asked, although he already knew that you did.
- Yeah… you said with a nervous smile on your face.
- Text me your address. I will go to the shop, buy ingredients for a chicken soup and then cook for you. he suggested with an enthusiastic tone and then waited for your comment. You felt your heart beating very fast and your breath getting stuck into your throat as a state of panic tried to take over you… but then suddenly, just as you thought that you would pass out, the panic faded away and left you feeling calm and… happy. Sure you were still nervous and afraid that it would be a mistake to meet the guy but then again… why not?
- Okay. you replied after a silent moment.
- Great! the man exclaimed with a relieved tone. He sounded almost like he had been waiting for a rejection, clearly waiting for you to tell him straight to his face, well so to speak, that it was not a good idea or given him some excuse instead. The man inhaled deeply and spoke
- I’ll start putting on my coat now-
- Wait! Please give me time to makeup… I look like shit. you stated and got off from the sofa. When you did, you felt a bit dizzy and therefore you decided to sit down again.
- No, no need. Jonathan stated firmly.
- Oh come on! you groaned.
- I promise that I will not put any makeup so… you do not have to either. he continued with a playful tone.
- Fine. you replied with a laughter. You were silently relieved though because you did not feel like shoving anything into your eyes that were hurting even as they were. Yeah, you were sick… Maybe it was not a good idea after all… considering that you most likely would get Jonathan infected with the flu as well.
- Hey, maybe we should postpone. you said with a somewhat silent tone and it was obvious that you were trying to hide your disappointment.
- Why? the man asked and slammed the front door of his apartment shut. You could hear the “bang” –sound echoing in the corridor of his apartment building.
- Well, I’m sick… I don’t want you to get it. you explained with sniffles. The man stopped running down the stairs and all you could hear was the sound of his breathing getting back to normal.
- Besides, I’m rather tired. you added with a sad smile on your face. A silence took over the conversation as you both listened to each other’s breathing… or the man listened to your sniffles that reminded him that you indeed were sick.
- Then I shall hold you while you sleep. he said finally with a hopeful voice. He had decided that if you told him that he was not welcome, he would not push you. It was true after all that you needed rest and your voice had gotten pretty hoarse during the phone call… but despite of everything… the flu… the possible… no, probable… infection… the man wanted to see you and keep you company for real.
- Alright. I’ll text you the address. you said and after saying many goodbyes you hung up.
The weird feeling of loneliness filled you immediately when you ended the conversation. The silence, excluding the music of course, felt like it had crushed you or drowned you. You had never felt like that before, not even when you had been dating your ex; you had never missed him the way you were now missing this random caller. You inhaled deeply and sent your address to him. Then you collected some of the dirty dishes from the table into the kitchen sink, hid the pile of used clothes into the washing machine and changed your clothes into something presentable.
After forty five minutes there was subtle knock at the door. You took a final look at your pale reflection in the mirror and then walked to the entrance hall. You had started to feel a bit more feverish towards the evening but all you were able to feel now was a mixture of excitement and fear… besides you never invited strangers to your home because in your opinion that was just… risky in a very foolish way. Now however you had invited someone over… and he was here.
This was it... there was no turning back now.