Orlando Bloom / Reader - Part 2
You stared at the door with sweaty palms and a heart that was pounding against your ribcage faster than ever before. You felt slightly dizzy and unreal because the truth was that you were attracted to the man, Jonathan, even though you had never even seen him. Maybe it was his voice… or the way he spoke, the unexpected kindness and the fact that time had just slipped away completely unnoticed when you had talked with him on the phone. There was chemistry between you and him… but what if there was none when you opened the door for the man who was now knocking again? You put your hand on the handle and opened the door, stepped a bit further so your guest would be able to come in.
- You must be Jonathan. Please, come in. you said and gestured the man who was carrying a rather large shopping bag to enter your apartment. He was wearing a scarf as well as a hat which made it impossible to say anything about his appearance… The only things you were able to see were that he was taller than you but not a giant, approximately 180cm or so, he had brown, not very short, curly hair and his body type was athletic.
- Actually, it’s Orlando. the man said as he removed his scarf as well as his hat. “Orlando… Bloom” you gasped when he revealed his face and you recognized him immediately. “Of course!” you thought silently. It was no surprise that his voice had sounded so familiar; you after all had seen Lord of the Rings –trilogy, Troy, three Pirates of the Caribbean –films and some other movies as well. You smiled awkwardly at the man who was in his late twenties or early thirties… you did not exactly remember or even know when the actor who had played Legolas was born. “Oh” you sighed and hand him a coat-hanger.
- I’m sorry I… I look terrible. you said and cursed silently that you had red eyes and runny nose. If you had know that the random caller had been a famous actor you would have at least taken a shower and put some mascara… but no, you were in your home-clothes, sweatpants and a t-shirt, you had tied your hair up as a loose bun and your pants were tucked into your knitted wool socks. Orlando put his jacket on the hanger and took off his shoes, when he was done with his outdoor-clothes he finally focused his attention to you with a smile on his face.
- A friggin’ home-edition. you mumbled with an embarrassed look on your face as you shifted your gaze elsewhere from your handsome guest.
- You look cute. he chuckled and followed you into the living room, carrying the bag that looked rather heavy. You offered to help him with the bag but he shook his head and asked you where your kitchen was. You pointed at one corner of your studio apartment and watched Orlando walking there as he looked curiously around while complimenting your taste of furniture and interior decorating style.
- Have you been eating? he asked suddenly when he was emptying the bag on your kitchen counter. You were baffled, rendered speechless actually because the random caller, who was in fact a movie star, was now standing in your small kitchen corner, behaving almost like it was not the first time that he was at your home. You stared at him with an amazed and slightly confused expression and suddenly you realized that he was not unpacking the shopping bag anymore. Oh no, he was now staring at you, clearly waiting for you to say something.
- I’m sorry, did you ask something? you asked with an embarrassed tone.
- Yeah. Orlando replied with an expression that was mixture of concern and worry, yet still his eyes were smiling at you. He looked a bit shy and strangely mesmerized, which in your opinion made no sense; why would he look at you like that? Why would he smile and look at you with such an adoring way?
- Please excuse me, I feel a bit dizzy. you said and grabbed the back of a chair to support yourself. The look on your guest’s face changed immediately from smiley to worried and he put the groceries immediately away from his hands and walked to you assertively. Without asking anything he put his hand on your forehead and sighed “you’re burning”. You raised your chin and met his eyes despite the fact that looking at him made you feel even dizzier.
- You should… he continued and then stopped suddenly, almost as if he had gotten lost for words or lost his train of thought all of a sudden when you had met his gaze. You stared into his brown eyes and he stared back intensely into your (your eye color) eyes. The seconds slipped away as you both were entirely caught up in the moment together. It was a strange moment, a moment filled with unspoken chemistry, just like you had hoped… but then again… he was not just someone… he was not just a guy… He was…
- What? you asked eventually to break the moment that was getting a bit too intense to handle. Orlando removed his hand immediately from your forehead… nope, he had actually moved his hand from your burning hot forehead onto your jaw so he had been actually cupping your face from one side while his other hand was still supporting you from your waist. He moved his hand immediately from your jaw and stepped a bit further away to give you room to breathe.
- You should lie down. he said with a light smile on his face.
- I’m quite alright. you replied with a slightly confused tone.
- I would love to hold you here, believe me, but the chicken soup will not cook itself. Orlando said and guided you to sit down by your dining table.
- Are you really going to cook? you chuckled with your hoarse voice.
- Yes, and I will put the kettle on. he smirked and walked back to your stove. Just as you were about to stand up in order to show you where everything, the pans and spatulas, were he turned to look at your, shaking his head and assured you that he will surely find everything necessary himself.
- It is not the first time I’m in a kitchen. he stated while opened your drawers and cupboards to find everything he needed to make a soup. You laughed a little and commented
- Yeah, but-
- Yes, it might be my first time in your kitchen. he admitted and found a wooden spatula from one of your drawers. He however dropped it into the sink and as a result he mumbled with a barely audible tone “not the last I hope.” You jumped a little when there was a somewhat loud noise from the spatula that managed to hit a couple of glasses that you had put into the sink earlier. You recovered from the heart attack swiftly and then stated
- Ha-ha! We’ll see. If you’re a good cook, I might invite you over to be my personal chef-
- Oh, I see… The pressure is on. he smirked and started to peel potatoes as well as carrots for the soup. You watched him preparing the vegetables like a normal person and then decided to put on some music. You had just bought the latest Anjunadeep –album which worked perfectly as background music for a relaxing evening. Then you returned to sit by the dining table to follow Orlando who was now frying the chicken slices on the stove.
- Maybe next time I do not have to invite myself. he commented casually as he stirred the chicken in the frying pan. “Perhaps” you sighed with a thoughtful look on your face. You were actually pretty happy that Orlando had invited himself over because you would have never dared to invite a stranger for a visit, of course it was too early to say anything because the evening could still end in a disaster, but currently you were very pleased that you had someone… and not “just someone”… keeping you company.
- Why did you call me again? you asked curiously after a moment of silence. You could see only the side-profile of his face but you were able to see a smile appearing on his face when he was filling a pot with water from the tab.
- I liked your voice. he answered with a somewhat shy expression on his face.
- But… I did not even say that much! you exclaimed with a hoarse voice and such sudden exclaiming made you cough rather violently right after. Orlando took a glass from the cupboard, filled it with cold water and brought it to you. “Here” he said as he handed the glass to you with a deeply worried look on his face. You took the glass and emptied one third of it straight away.
- Besides, my voice is hardly very likable at the current moment. you added although you were almost unable to back your words with any sound. “Shit, the kettle!” Orlando exclaimed and rushed to the stove and poured some boiling water into a teacup. He took the blackcurrant concentrate as well as the fresh ginger root out from the fridge and measured a generous amount of each into the cup. Then he brought the cup to you and returned to the stove.
- There was something… I got a feeling… he explained and then chuckled a little. “It is funny, really” he added and then turned to look at you. You held the hot cup with your both hands and breathed in the steam.
- Funny how? you asked curiously.
- I do not usually… Do this. he continued, paused and leaned to the fridge as he rubbed his arm with his other hand.
- I don’t usually invite myself over to prepare a dinner for someone whom I have never even met. he explained with a thoughtful look on his face.
- Yeah, me neither… I mean, I do not invite people over like this. you agreed.
- Well, you did not exactly invite me over. Orlando chuckled and shook his head. “True” you laughed and sipped a bit of hot drink, careful not to burn your mouth.
- Do you believe in love at the first glance? he asked after returning to his soup-preparations. Orlando stirred the spiced, boiling water with the wooden spatula and added some freshly grinded black pepper into it. He took a spoon and tasted the stock and nodded approvingly because it tasted excellent.
- Huh? you asked with a surprised as well as confused tone. Where was this coming from? Why was he asking such things? Surely he was not going to state that he had fallen in love with you!
- Do you? Or… more like love at the first hearing. he corrected himself shyly, still focusing his attention to the stove, the pot and the frying pan. He had put the chicken slices into the spiced water that was now boiling and now he was frying the vegetables lightly in the frying pan to get more flavor in them.
- Isn’t that a bit… cheesy… or a corny romcom-cliché? you asked or more like stated with a light chuckle. Orlando commented with a silent “hm” and a slightly awkward silence followed. It was impossible for you to read his expressions because he was standing by the stove, facing away from you. You hoped that you had not offended him or hurt his feelings because that was the last thing you had wanted to do.
- Do you? you asked with a somewhat shaky voice. Orlando was silent for a moment and then replied hesitantly “no”. He continued stirring the chicken pieces in the stock and added the vegetable cubes into the pot. After you both had been completely silent for over five minutes, he suddenly turned to face you and groaned.
- The truth is that… I might have fallen in love with you during our phone call. he said with a somewhat desperate and slightly frustrated tone. You shifted your gaze elsewhere from him and sighed, took a deep breath and shifted your gaze back to him when he continued
- Then I came here and met you for real-
- I understand… You came here and you realized that it was… an illusion. you said and nodded. There was no way that he would find you attractive, especially like this; in your sweatpants and t-shirt, with runny nose and red eyes.
- No. I… find you just as attractive as I did before… No illusion. he stated with a sincere look on his face. You swallowed once and chuckled nervously while you processed what you had just been told.
- I’m glad you find this funny. he commented with a sarcastic tone. Orlando couldn’t believe it even himself; he had never expected it to happen or even believed that it would be possible but as your earlier conversation had continued without any serious effort… he had realized that he had indeed fallen in love with your personality.
- I’m sorry, I… don’t find it funny. I just sometimes laugh when I’m shocked or nervous. you replied a bit hesitantly. You did not want to offend your guest, now even less than before, and you were worried that you would blurt out something that would hurt his feelings… feelings that were much deeper than you had even dared to hope.
- So, I suppose you do not feel the same way about me. Orlando mumbled with a disappointed tone. He did not want to show you that he was indeed a bit disappointed… but since this was his honest reaction, it took a moment for him to tuck his feelings of disappointment away and smile politely instead.
- It’s not you… it’s me. you stated and put the teacup to the table. Orlando nodded and turned to face the stove again.
- Really, I mean it! I know when people say that, they usually mean the opposite, but this time it really IS me. you explained and dropped your head as you sighed deeply. During the moments like this you really hated the way you were unable to let people close easily, how you wanted to keep your safe distance and reason yourself out from any feeling that challenged your view of the world or how you saw yourself.
-The thing is that I do not fall in love that easily. you continued a bit hesitantly. It was quite clear that it was not the most pleasant or easiest subject for you. “And I don’t let anyone close because it is safer that way” you added with sniffles and a couple of coughs. Orlando turned to look at you with a concerned look on his face. “I’m okay” you sighed with a weary smile decorating your features. You knew that you looked plain ugly and there was no such magical smile that could have made you look any more beautiful than you actually were… or… weren’t.
- I think too much. I… you sighed and paused to inhale deeply before continuing. You did not even have to look at Orlando to feel him staring at you intensely. “I…” you gasped and after exhaling, reorganizing your thoughts and inhaling again you continued
- Even now I could find ten reasons why you can’t possibly be attracted to me.
- And I can find twenty to prove you wrong. You just need a bit persuasion. That’s all. he stated with a firm, yet soft tone. You smiled a bit and drank some hot drink now that it was finally cooled down a little.
After ten minutes the soup was ready. Orlando set the table and served the soup, sat down and waited anxiously for you to tell him your honest opinion about it. The soup was excellent; it was spicy but not too hot, it had a very smooth aftertaste and the vegetables were still pleasantly crunchy. You complimented the chef and ate two platefuls because you had not eaten anything the entire day. You had not felt that hungry, mostly because of the flu, but now that you were eating and breathing in the flavorful steam you had suddenly felt your stomach basically demanding food. You shared a lively conversation and the atmosphere got more relaxed as you got used to spending time with someone… or not “just someone” because Orlando was everything but “just someone”.
- How are you feeling? he asked after he had taken the dirty plates into the kitchen sink. It was almost eight pm and the weather outside had turned rainy as well as windy. The day had not been particularly sunny to begin with but as the evening had progressed, the weather had turned ugly and very uninviting.
- I’m fine. Just a bit… tired. you answered and moved to sit on the sofa, gestured Orlando to join you and then dared to lean on his shoulder when he sat next to you. He took your blanket and put it on your legs, put his arm around your shoulder and pulled you to lean on him. Orlando pressed his palm against your forehead again and cursed silently because your skin was still burning hot.
- Aches? he asked. His voice was deeply concerned and made you feel… loved… which was of course absolutely insane.
- No. I feel… quite good at the moment. you replied and breathed in Orlando’s expensive cologne.
- Good. he said and listened to your calm breathing. You chatted about nothing of great importance for an hour until neither of you came up with new topics and a rather long silence followed, not that you minded, because you didn’t… since talking made your throat hurt and your voice was cracking or completely disappearing every once in a while.
- So… Let’s think about the reasons why you should fall in love with me. Orlando said suddenly, smirked at you and pulled you a bit closer. “Uhuh?” you chuckled as you rested your head against his chest. Orlando was wearing a simple knitted sweater and dark jeans. His clothes were stylish but very ordinary, which made him look like a normal human being. Orlando brushed your hair, although it was still tied up as a loose bun on the top of your head but he had managed to find a stray lock to play with. He made a thoughtful “hm” –sound and began
- Let’s start with the obvious one. I’m-
- You’re very handsome. you blurted over him because you had assumed that it was the thing that he was going to say but instead of saying what you had thought him to say, he said “…a very good cook.” When he realized what you had said, he gasped “oh?” with a surprised tone. You cursed silently because you had, in your opinion at least, revealed your cards way too early. Sure it was rather obvious that Orlando was a handsome man, but it didn’t mean that you should have blurted it out like that… so openly.
- I see… Well, to be honest, I must say that I am relieved because I was kind of thinking already whether you find me attractive or not. he teased with a playfully mischievous voice. You covered your face with your hand because you could feel your cheeks turning as red as a ripe tomato. You couldn’t believe that you had just said that out loud. Sure it was no surprise that you thought that Orlando was a handsome guy because he totally was but you couldn’t believe that you had actually voiced your thoughts. The last thing you wanted was to sound like his average fan girl who was unable to see the person beneath the trendy clothes and charming appearance.
- Tell me, is it my abs? he asked with the same playfully mischievous tone. You knew he was smirking at you, joking at your expense although… you had to admit it; your involuntary and entirely accidental blurt had basically begged him to ask further questions in a humorous way… or in other words; to make fun of you a little.
- Your eyes actually. you admitted. Surely it was better to like his eyes than his… muscles… not that there was anything wrong with his… muscles either… But at least people said that the eyes were a window to one’s soul so it was poetic somehow… kind of… hopefully.
- Really? he sighed.
- And smile. you added. “Oh?” he asked with a curious tone.
- Yeah, you have very nice teeth. you stated jokingly, although there was no denying that he had perfect teeth, and after making that statement you burst into laughter.
- Oh, they’re fake. he commented casually.
- Really? you asked as you continued laughing.
- No. he smirked and started to laugh with you because your laughter was very contagious. However laughing so much caused you to cough your lungs out again. Unfortunately this time the coughing spell did not stop so you got up from the sofa and walked straight into the bathroom. You felt like your lungs had been ripped in two.
Finally you stopped coughing and when you did, there was a subtle knock on the bathroom door. You wiped the tears away from your eyes and cheeks and opened the door. Orlando stared at your colorless face as well as your weak appearance which made him consider the possibility that he was very selfish that he had invited himself over. It was obvious that you needed sleep more than you needed company and it was foolish and inconsiderate to think otherwise. “I’m fine” you sighed and exhaled deeply. Orlando decided at that very moment that you did not need him to tell you that you looked exhausted and therefore instead of pointing that out he said
- The third reason for you to fall in love with me is that I am a hopeless romantic and I love to spoil my girlfriends.
- Girlfriends-eh? you chuckled. You rubbed your arms a little because you were shivering and feeling quite cold now that you did not have the blanket… or Orlando… keeping you warm.
- Besides I’m a great guy. he added and kept his eyes fixed upon your exhausted features. “I know” you commented with a shy smile on your face. Orlando had an ongoing internal battle with himself whether he should or should not just embrace you without further explanations. It was obvious that you were cold… but then again… you had said that you did not let people close easily. He however dared to place his hand on your jaw again so he was able to brush your burning hot cheek with his thumb. Then he started with a sincere, soft yet firm tone that was suppose to convince you to believe him
- You are beautiful. You deserve to be cherished and respected… he said but his words were met with an expression that made it very clear to him that you did not share his opinion.
- Listen… My guideline in treating women is that I think what her dad would think about my actions… And-
- Like I said before… you sighed and closed your eyes almost like there had been a heavy burden on your shoulders. The truth was that you wanted to believe him, you wanted to think less and feel more for change… and the more he kept talking the harder it got to hold onto your reasons as well as excuses that you had to keep people in a safe distance. But this was happening too fast! How was it even possible that Orlando had any feelings for you so quickly? If he fell in love this recklessly, did it also mean that he abandoned his feelings just as fast? Orlando continued with a slightly more desperate tone
- …and therefore you can be sure that I would never hurt you. I have seen-
- It is not you. you stated and turned your head away.
- …my sisters getting hurt by some jerks that they dated. I do not want to hurt anyone. I am not a jerk. he said with a serious look on his face. You noticed that his voice had changed from desperate to frustrated because you kept shaking your head and rolling your eyes as you kept holding onto your comfortably safe distance… a distance that you were constantly putting between you and him, almost like it was a fortress that surrounded you and just as he had managed to make a hole to the firm wall, you pushed him out and fixed the hole with bricks and cement.
- I know that! It’s me! I don’t know if I can do this. you sighed, drew back a little and just as you were about to walk past him back into the living room Orlando grabbed your arm gently, stopped you and said
- Please, just give me a chance.
- A chance to do what exactly? you exclaimed with a tone that was ruder and sounded more annoyed than you had meant. You did not want to be either rude or ungrateful because Orlando had managed to turn your gloomy day into very cheerful one… but you were too proud to let yourself to fall in love with some famous star so easily… you after all had known him less than twelve hours!
- To sweep you off your feet…. Orlando said. He was clearly getting annoyed as well and since an awkward silence followed this statement he decided to add “…or something” as a barely audible mumble.
- Oh, because you are Orlando Bloom? The Hollywood actor and the daydream of millions of teenage girls across the globe? you asked or more like stated with contemptuous tone as you rolled your eyes and scoffed. Was he expecting you to scream and faint like the most clichéd fan girl, worship him as a god or something?
- No! Of course not! he exclaimed immediately and folded his arms as he stood in front of you. You shifted your gaze away from him and chuckled bitterly without commenting. Orlando stared at you and he couldn’t really believe what he saw; he knew that he did not really know you, but he had thought that he had had a pretty good idea of your character… your personality that had captured his heart during the long phone call that had lasted over six hours.
- Because I am me! A man who came to cook you dinner knowing that he could catch the flu. he stated because you were not saying anything. You still refused to look at him and your coldness towards him hurt him greatly. If he had ever felt like he had known you all his life… now the feeling was gone and instead of a long-lost-friend… or love… he was staring at a complete stranger.
- I am that man! he stated firmly. You swallowed your tears and gasped for air sharply as you fought against your feelings as well as your tears that were getting all bottled up behind your seemingly cold exterior. You knew that Orlando had a point; he was a good guy, according to him anyway… well, you couldn’t deny the fact that he had indeed come to your place with groceries, cooked you dinner and kept you company knowing that he most likely would get sick as well… And therefore you knew all too well that you were behaving somewhat ridiculously.
- But if you are too blind to see it or otherwise incapable of admitting it… then maybe this was a mistake and I should go. he said with a defeated tone. He had tried… and failed… and you did not even seem to care… and it was this indifference of yours that hurt his feelings the most.
- Yeah. you sighed and folded your arms as you watched Orlando storming into the entrance call and putting on his jacket. He pulled his hat firmly on his head and put on his shoes and after making sure that he had his wallet, his phone and keys, he rushed out from your apartment. Just as he was going to slam the door shut, you glanced at him with a heartbroken expression on your face and stated with a bitter tone
- You kind of prove my point by leaving.
The door slammed shut and you were left alone to stare at the front door of your apartment. You did not know exactly what had happened and why everything had gotten so badly screwed up so quickly… or you knew… Yeah… you knew that it was all your fault and you there was no one else to blame than yourself. You noticed Orlando’s scarf hanging in the coat hanger and as an almost involuntary reaction you took the scarf and hugged it as the tears started to pour out from your aching eyes. You had screwed up… you had screwed up big time.