Orlando Bloom / Reader - Part 3
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
The sound caused your breath get stuck into your throat and your heart to skip a beat or two as you were unable to do anything but to stare at the door with a confused expression on your face. It took a couple of seconds for you to realize that you were still squeezing Orlando’s scarf and most likely you now had to give the piece of clothing up. You decided to ignore the terrible feeling or something weighing on your shoulders, crushing your throat and after taking one deep breath you opened the door.
- My scarf. Orlando said with a somewhat emotionless tone. He looked tired, disappointed and deeply hurt. You stared at him as he extended his arm at you because he was not going to come back in. You felt the soft fabric with your fingers and memorized every detail of that scarf, almost as if it had been the last thing to connect you to this evening… this day… the fantasy version of reality where you had met someone nice.
- (Y/N) please, the scarf. he repeated because his first request was not getting any reaction out from you. You shifted your gaze from Orlando to the scarf and extended your hand at him very slowly and hesitantly. You knew that it was just a scarf but somehow you it symbolized so much more to you and therefore it was nearly physically painful to give it up. Orlando grabbed the scarf and thanked you but just as he was about to pull his hand away, he noticed that you were not letting go. You looked even more exhausted and paler than before and now there was deep sadness in your eyes. He called you by your name a couple of times because you were just holding onto the scarf and staring at it with a sorrowful look on your face, but just as he was about to step back into your apartment, you released your grip and shifted your gaze back to him.
- It was… you said, sniffled once and then continued barely audibly “nice to meet you”. Orlando smiled sadly, turned his back on you and disappeared into the dark corridor. You stared at the darkness for a moment listening to the footsteps that got quieter and then stopped echoing in the stairway completely. You heard the main entrance –door of the apartment building opening and after fifteen seconds it closed… and after that there was nothing but silence.
You gasped for air because you had been holding your breath the entire time, from the moment Orlando had disappeared into the dark stairway to the moment when he had left the building. As the fresh air filled your lungs you managed to snap back into the reality; you were not going to let it end like this! You put on your shoes without even bothering to tie the shoelaces and stormed out from your apartment. You slammed the door shut and ran down the stairs. In the front yard of the building you were greeted by vicious wind and icy rain that made your burning hot skin ache when it hit your arms and face, all the bits of you that were not covered by your clothes.
- Wait! you shouted although it hurt your throat like it had been sliced open with a knife from inside out. You saw Orlando walking further away towards the parking lot where his car was parked. You shouted his name again and this time he heard you. He stopped and turned to look at you.
- What are you doing? he shouted back with a disapproving tone. You hurried your steps and jogged the remaining twenty-thirty meters even though panting made you cough violently. “Gosh, it’s cold” you thought silently when you finally reached his car and tried to catch your breath. You did not usually lose your breath so easily but now your lungs were fucked due to the flu.
- What are you doing? Are you insane? Orlando asked and stared at you coughing your lungs out which looked very painful. You were bent forwards and supported yourself with your hands to your knees and when you had managed to calm your breathing you stood up straight and looked at Orlando.
- I’m sorry. you said but this time there was no voice coming out.
- You shouldn’t be outside, especially dressed like… that. Orlando said and just as he was going to give you his scarf to give you some emergency warmth you managed to demand him to listen to you for a moment. He sighed out of frustration and shook his head.
- I came to tell you that… you said and rubbed your throat to push yourself through the sentence. “What?” Orlando asked and unlocked the doors of his car.
- That I am sorry, okay? you whimpered but you did not get any response from him.
- I did not mean to hurt you… or to sound ungrateful… but it is just happening so fast and I freaked out. you explained, forcing yourself to use your voice despite the fact that it was very challenging, almost impossible actually and unimaginably painful.
- Go back inside. he said and turned his head away as a sign that he was going to leave now. He opened the door of his car but you shouted “no” and pushed the door back closed. Then you continued
- I am… sorry! I made a… mistake, alright? I shouldn’t have-
- You are getting soaked and you shouldn’t be outside in the first place. You’ve said you’re sorry… he said and shifted his gaze back to you. You had been shaking your head defiantly while he was talking but now that he stopped and turned to look at you, you sighed and removed your hand from the car instantly.
- …now go inside. he ordered firmly.
You stepped away and chuckled bitterly when you realized that there was nothing that you could have done to make it better. There was no point to keep arguing because you were freezing cold anyway; your hair as well as your clothes were completely wet and if you had felt cold before leaving the comfortable warmth of your apartment… you were now pushing your limits for sure.
- So that’s it? you asked bitterly and turned your back at Orlando as you started to walk back to your apartment building.
- You claim to love me and yet… give up so easily! you shouted with your broken voice while walking away. You returned to the main entrance of the building and suddenly you realized that you did not have your key with you. You went through the pockets of your sweatpants and cursed aloud. There was a code lock in the main entrance and you entered the four-digit-code a couple of times but the screen kept giving you red light; the lock was turned off always during the night time and today was no exception. You knew that there was the janitor’s number on the message board, which was located next to the door on the wall, but because there was no light in the corridor, you were unable to see anything without actually entering the corridor… besides, you did not even have your phone with you. You sat down on the stairs and folded your arms to make yourself a bit warmer.
- Forgot your keys? you heard Orlando asking when he parked his car in front of you and opened the window to talk with you.
- No… you said with an annoyed tone and then rolled your eyes and said “yes… obviously” with a frustrated tone. You however regretted your sarcasm and bad attitude immediately because it was not his fault that you had stormed out so recklessly.
- Come on. he said and gestured you to get into his car.
- It’s fine… I’m sure someone will come or leave soon. you replied and turned your head away from Orlando because you were embarrassed to be the damsel in distress.
- It is Wednesday night, who are you expecting to come or leave at this hour? he asked with a calm tone.
- You would be surprised. you mumbled and rubbed your arms.
- You will get hypothermic before anyone comes. he said, shut the engine and got out from the car. He took a couple of long strides through the rain and sat beside you on the stairs that were sheltered by the balcony of the first floor tenant. Orlando put his hand on your knee and squeezed it gently.
- How… can I be this stupid… and… and careless? you whimpered as you fought the shivers that were shaking your entire body and making you stutter when you spoke, or tried to speak.
- I just wanted to… to apo-… you said and then struggled to say the word “apologize” after a couple of failed attempts.
- I know. Orlando said and put his hand on your cheek, guided you to look at him and continued
- And now it is time to go. he said with a comforting tone and for the first time after he had left the apartment he smiled at you a little… not much, but it was a start. You however were ashamed for the entire fiasco and therefore you did not want to bother Orlando any more than you had already bothered him. You cleared your throat and stated
- My friend… has the-the spare key. I could… I could just… She lives nearby-
- You’re coming with me. he whispered as he leaned closer and pressed his lips against yours. You however were too cold to kiss him back, freezing so badly in the matter of fact that Orlando could easily feel your lips shivering against his, besides they felt like two blocks of ice which made him terribly worried. He stayed close for a moment and then drew back, stood up and pulled you to stand as well. He walked you to his car, opened the door for you and after closing the door for you he ran on the other side and got into the car as well. He started the car and turned the heater on because you were getting somewhat unresponsive and when he tried to talk to you, ask you how you were feeling, you only stared out from the window at the rainy, dark city without saying anything back.
You recoiled from your thoughts when Orlando opened the door for you. You looked around a little and realized that you were in an underground garage. You took Orlando’s hand because he was offering it to you and you had started to feel very sleepy during the ride. You both walked slowly into the elevator, he pressed the button and then you just stood side by side silently until the doors slid open and Orlando gestured you to follow him. He walked to his door, opened it and watched you entering his apartment. You took off your shoes and waited him to put on some lights.
Orlando hurried into the bedroom to get you some clothes and a towel, took them into the bathroom and turned the lights on for you while you stood in the entrance hall, still avoiding his gaze because you hated yourself in this state and the situation you had put Orlando; it seemed to you that he had no other chance than to be nice to you and it was unfair as well as wrong on so many levels that you were barely able to deal it with. After a moment Orlando came to you, still talking something but you did not really listen to him at all. He put his hand on the small of your back and guided you into the bathroom, turned the shower on for you and assured you that it was going to be alright. He told you that he was going to put the kettle on and prepare a hot drink with medicine for you to sleep better and to lower your fever.
You nodded, watched him closing the door behind him and then took off your soaked clothes. You untied your hair, stepped into the shower and forced you to stand under the hot water even though it felt burning hot at first. Slowly the water started to feel tolerable and finally even pleasant. You washed your hair and then turned the water off, stepped out from the shower and took the huge towel that Orlando had brought to you. The whole bathroom was filled with steam so you wiped the mirror with the towel to check out how you looked; you were pale and there was no color on your lips either, otherwise you looked almost cute… almost… with your messy, wet hair and shower-fresh face… although you looked undeniably exhausted.
- Everything alright? Orlando asked as he knocked the door.
- Yeah! you answered and dried your hair with the towel as much as it was possible before getting dressed into the clothes that your host had given to you; a long sleeved hoodie, sweatpants and boxers. You hung the towel to dry and swiped the water from the floor with a long-armed bathroom spatula so Orlando wouldn’t get his socks wet when he went into the bathroom.
- I have the medicine ready for you. he said and after getting a “okay” from you he walked away from the door. You inhaled deeply as you put your hand on the door handle and opened the door, stepped out from the bathroom. He had told you not to worry about your clothes because he would wash them tomorrow and hang them to dry after so therefore you just left them on the bathroom floor into a pile of soaked clothes.
- Here. Orlando said when you walked into the kitchen and pointed at a teacup that was on the kitchen table. You thanked him and sat by the table to drink.
- Will you be alright if I’ll take a quick shower now? he asked. You stared at the cup that you were squeezing tightly in your hands to make your palms and fingers to warm up a little faster so he said “hey?” and repeated the question.
- Yeah, sure… of course. you replied and smiled a little. You continued sipping the drink while Orlando was in the shower. When the teacup was empty you took it into the sink and walked into the living room which was very stylish and spacious, just like the entire apartment overall. You sat down on the sofa to wait for the medicine to help but now that you were sitting alone, you had time to think about the mess you had gotten yourself into and it was too much to handle mentally at the moment and therefore you burst into tears.
You cried because you were embarrassed and you knew that you had been an ass towards Orlando, who had not deserved it… but you also cried because you were a coward; you had hoped to meet someone special and fall in love passionately and now that you finally had a chance to do that… you had actually met a handsome, funny and insanely considerate guy who had not even tried to get into your pants… and how had you reacted? You had rejected him instantly! You had not even suggested to take it slow or anything but told him straight that you basically didn’t want to even try to let him close. Now you were at his place because he had somewhat saved you, wearing his clothes and drinking his tea.
Orlando got out from the bathroom. He had put on sweatpants and a casual t-shirt and combined to the curly, wet hair he looked very cute and huggable. He walked into the kitchen barefoot, expecting to find you there but he was greeted by an empty room. He called you by your name a couple of times as he walked around his large apartment, until he finally walked into the living room that was only dimly lit. He noticed you sitting on the sofa with your hair covering your face, sobbing into your hands.
- Hey… It’s alright. he said with a soft, calm voice as he sat next to you, brushed your wet hair behind your ears and guided you to look at him although you were mainly keeping your eyes closed. He cupped your face with his large, warm hands and traced the corners of your eyes with his fingertips. He leaned closer, closed his eyes and pressed his lips on yours. He stayed there, softly and very slowly examining your lips in a very comforting and compassionate way. You did not dare to move or even breathe but secretly you enjoyed every passing second of being cared for so gently.
- You feel warmer now. he whispered against your lips before drawing back. When he did you opened your eyes and stared at him with awe as he stared into your eyes with such kindness in his.
- Reason four… I am a great kisser. he stated with a hopeful smile on his face.
- That you indeed are… but… I don’t understand. you said with broken voice and sighed.
- What? he asked curiously. His expression changed from slightly playful to somewhat worried and even though the change was merely in the way he looked at you and in the way he furrowed his eyebrows a bit, you could still read the change in his mood as the subtle confusion settled in.
- Why are you still being so kind towards me? you asked or stated with sniffles and almost entirely without a voice. Orlando chuckled a little and replied
- Did you assume that I would just not-love you anymore?
- Well… Kind of… yeah. you replied.
- I would have still called you tomorrow, asked how you’re doing and then settled a date and time for a proper date. he stated and smirked at you. “Oh?” you commented and suddenly you felt like a terrible weight had melted away from your shoulders.
- Would you like to watch something? he asked after a small silence. You nodded and he put on a lighthearted comedy. You however fell asleep quite soon after the mid-point and since Orlando did not want to wake you up, he brought you a warm blanket as well as two big, soft pillows, lifted your feet on the sofa and tucked you in. He turned off the lights from the apartment and then went to bed.
You slept well until it was morning, about nine o’clock. You sat up, looked around and listened to the noises that came from the kitchen; it was Orlando who was making some breakfast. You stood up, stretched your limbs as well as your back before finding your way into the kitchen. You stopped to watch him cooking something because he looked so… normal… frying an omelet and making toast. His hair was messy and he was singing along the song that was playing on the radio… just like a normal human being.
- Oh, morning! I hope I did not wake you up. he said when he turned around and noticed you in the doorway.
- No, you didn’t. Morning. you replied with a whisper and walked further into the kitchen. The thing was that you did not have any voice due to the shouting of last night and getting soaked in the icy rain. Orlando poured hot water into a teacup, emptied a bag of lemon flavored medicine-tea into the water and after stirring the drink with a spoon for a moment he handed the cup to you. You thanked him and asked if you could help with the breakfast. He asked you to set the table and then sit down because the breakfast was almost ready.
- Today I have some interviews… a busy day ahead. he said when he served you some omelet and gave you two slices of golden brown toast. You however only managed to comment “okay” when he continued
- I was thinking… Okay, this is what I am going to suggest. You will stay here, watch Lord of the Rings, or something… sleep… rest… and when I’ll get back home in the evening, we’ll continue… this- he said and pointed at himself, you himself and you again.
- …because this is… nice, isn’t it? he asked hoping that he would get a much wanted confirmation from you.
- Yes, it is very nice… this… you said without any voice and repeated the same hand gesture which meant “us”. You ate breakfast together and after that you watched Orlando getting ready for the interview or photo-shoot or whatever and when he was about to leave the apartment, he suddenly turned back at the door, wrapped his arm around you, pulled you close, sank his other hand into your hair and kissed you rather passionately. This time you kissed him back and even dared to wrap your arms around him.
His lips moved against yours with such skill that it was impossible to think about anything else than him. He pushed you against the wall and slipped his hand under the hoodie that you were wearing, felt your back as well as your side as his other hand continued pulling your hair gently and massaging your scalp. You opened your mouth a little and chuckled when he nibbled your lower lip and murmured against your lips that you were irresistible and it was such a shame that he had to go because otherwise he would have taken you into his bed for an intense cuddling session. Hearing that made you laugh against his mouth.
- I’m glad you find this funny. he said with a smirk and brushed your lip with his tongue teasingly.
- I’m just happy. you whispered and pulled him closer from his scarf. Orlando resisted you for a moment and when the anticipation got too much to handle, he slammed his lips against yours again and this time he included his tongue into the sweet, seductive kiss. You met his tongue with yours and allowed the kiss grow deeper, hungrier… more demanding in every way. You bit his lip playfully once and then soothed the sting with a slight suck that made him moan against your mouth and groan when his phone rang. It was his manager asking where Orlando was because the manager was waiting for him right outside the building with his car. When Orlando finally stepped back involuntarily accompanied by a frustrated sigh, your head was spinning and your lips tingled from such intense kissing. You felt dizzy but this time fever had nothing to do with it… oh no… your feet had been swept and you had fallen in love.
- To be continued. Orlando said with a smirk and left the apartment. He walked through the long corridor and turned to look at you one more time over his shoulder. He saw you leaning to the doorway with a mesmerized smile on your face, tracing your lips as you replayed the kiss over and over in your mind. Yes… that was the sight he had hoped to see… You were the woman he was more than happy to spoil with romantic gestures from now on.