#rendevous

It only made Qimir's presence in your life all the more precious. Even with what you knew about him that didn't stop what he gave you. Life. Happiness. Purpose. Everything about him drove you to work harder, push further. His unending resolve was simply inspiring and filled you with a certain tenacity that was hard to explain but easy to follow through on.

All you ever wanted was for you to be his rock when he needed. It was hard to tell at times if you really were simply because he was so secretive. What did he really think when he wasn't showing off that carefree grin of his? He told you his mind lingered on you whenever it could and when he needed your smile, and so you believed him. Besides, being a rock in someone elses life when your own was just so tumultuous was comforting.

Dropping by wasn't uncommon but it wasn't done lightly either. An assassin couldn't be seen frequenting any one place in case you had been tailed by a particularly observant victim. Your kind of work left many dead and many more bitterly seeking revenge. And Qimir had to drift wherever he saw fit in order to continue his path uninterupted. It wasn't an issue. You both would always find each other again, which he always said again with that wonderful carefree grin of his.

Oh how you missed that grin. So you went out to find him after dispatching the last fool who was trying to find a window into your blind spot. They learned that you did not have any. Fortunately it was easy to find Qimir this time, he mentioned a shop he had taken up for a while in order to lay low. All you had to do was follow the stream of rabble that darted in and out of innocuos crowds, grifters and the like, then there you were.

You walked inside feeling your chest get lighter with every step. The excitement of knowing who's eyes you were about to be gazing into made every second brighter. Which was a touch of silly irony that would make you giggle later. He was not brightness at all. Yet Qimir lit up your life in his easy going waves. Your darkness and his aligned in a way that made everything else brighter than most would understand.

The sound of clanging made your heart jolt, not something that was easy to do to an assassin, your love was right there. You called out to him already knowing the place was empty, you never entered a building without knowing exactly how many were inside.

"The Jedi are back? Lovely."

Sarcasm in your tone didn't hold back as you rolled your eyes at the thought. The Jedi were little more than pests. Hypocrites upholding systems that meant nothing. Qimir understood that. And you both quickly saw a connection through the shared view that so little people held. He simply just understood you like that.

Another clang sounded as he jumped up in surprise from hearing your voice. As if he couldn't sense you ages ago. Or like he wasn't aware when somebody entered the stolen shop. But the display of joy and affection made your sarcasm fall away and a grin grew across your face. He finally came around the corner, leaning into view and calling out in delight,

"Well well! Look who it is."

Both of your faces softened once your eyes fell on the other. Immediate relief and comfort just from seeing you was enough to make things feel better. Your voice was warm as you asked him,

"Are you okay Love?"

He spoke with a lean as he came around the counter, his hand dragging along it,

"Now that you're here? I'm just fine."

It didn't answer the question but you barely cared. He drew near, those deep eyes of his roaming over your person taking in every bit of you clearly glad to see you again. Maker he was handsome. Like he had been cut from the perfect stone yet given such a particular quality to him. He wasn't just beautiful he was...real and utterly rugged. His charm present in his face and mannerisms like it was all second nature to be so casually alluring.

How many rotations had it been? Too many. Which was why visiting didn't feel misplaced at all. Qimir gave no indication to otherwise as his hands reached for you and smoothed up your arms. They were still slightly bruised and marked from your last kill, the fool who tried to take you on about an hour ago. His touch made your skin untense, your line of work gave so few moments to truly relax that now simply felt like heaven. Weeks of caution and exhaustion slipping away with his permission. His thumbs brushed the marks like he was acknowledging them, proud of your strength, before sliding his arms around your waist.

He stared down at you with a lopsided smile, you noticed his usual unshaven mustache coming in meaning he had been too busy to trim at all. And his eyes looked fairly tired more than relaxed and lulled as usual. Your hand came up to his face running up along his sharp jaw with affection, the same way you had relaxed he did the same. His eyes took you in a moment longer admiring the curve of your face before he made a face like he was reconsidering his words. Scrunching his nose and raising his brows Qimir hummed for a second before looking back at you, his face drawing near to your cheeks.

“Why are you so nervous?” Julie asked, coming out from Y/n’s closet, holding a pair of suede thigh highs.

“I’m not nervous,” Y/n squealed defensively, putting the finishing touches on her winged eyeliner.

Julie rolled her eyes, picking up two tops from Y/n’s bed, comparing them with a edgy leather jacket that hung on the closet door, “Of course you are, you’re doing that leg thing.“

With an effort to stop the fast bouncing of her right leg, “No I’m not,” she defended, “I think the grey one looks nice.”

“Yeah,” Julie hummed, “But it’s so business casual, this one,” she shook a strappy tan blouse with little bits of lace sewn on about it, “It’s flirty and cute. And it’ll give him a nice view of your boobs. I think he’ll like that. He seems like a boobs man.”

“A boobs man?” Y/n quoted with wide, amused eyes, “How would you know that? Is there something you want to tell me?” She cocked an eyebrow suggestively.

“No, just no,” Julie shook her head, scrunching her nose, “I saved him for you. And he just seems like the type. Just a hot man with big dick energy who likes grabbing boobs,” she mused, looking of into a distance that Y/n couldn’t quite meet.

“Okay,” she sighed, tossing her make-up brush to the top of her vanity, getting up to grab her jeans off the bed, “I’ll wear that top, and give you a thousand dollars to never use that phrase ever again.”

Julie laughed loudly, taking the top of the hanger, tossing it to Y/n, “Throw in another thousand and I’ll think about it,” she waited for Y/n to finish adjusting things in front of the mirror, completing the outfit with her jacket before complimenting, “See, I knew that was the one.” At that, there was a knocking at the door, and Julie hurried to the door before Y/n could even finish with her shoes.

“Tell him that I’ll be right out!” Y/n called.

“Hi!” Julie greeted cheerily the minute she pulled the door open, startling Keanu who had been nervously rocking back and forth on his feet.

“Jules, hey,” he chortled, cautiously stepping in as she invited him inside, taking in Y/n’s apartment. It was of a fair size, but certainly reflected that she was paid well. A short hallway with honey colored walls broke into a small, well designed kitchen to the left and a cozy living room to the right. The balcony, from what he could see, offered a spectacular view of the sea and near the window was a round dining table, “I didn’t know you two were roommates.”

“Oh, we’re not,” she waved him off, “I live one floor down,” she explained. Taking a step closer to Keanu, “Y/n’s gonna be out in a minute.”

“Great,” he smiled, worrying on his bottom lip as Julie seemed to be getting closer and closer, folding her arms across her chest, “Is.....everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, giving a once over, “I know I set you two up, and you seem like a really nice guy Keanu. But even the nicest people make mistakes, so if you make a mistake with Y/n, and you hurt her, I’m gonna shove a pole so far up your-”

“Jules!” Y/n emerged from an opposing hallway, presumably from her bedroom, “She’s just kidding. She doesn’t have a pole, or a tendency to commit heinous murders.”

“You don’t know that,” Julie argued from behind Keanu, who was looking between them, unsure if it would be okay to express his amusement.

“I do know that,” Y/n shook her head, giving her attention to Keanu, “Ready?” She breathed, drinking him in; he was dressed in all black, a riding jacket over a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

“When you are,” he grinned, “You look....gorgeous by the way,” he breathed

“Thank you,” Y/n beamed. After ensuring that Julie would lock up, Y/n bid her good bye and set of with Keanu, “And I am, shall we?”

The ride down in the elevator wasn’t as much uncomfortable as it was awkward. Without the confidence of alcohol or the security of separation, things felt a little too real. Keanu tapped the tip of his key against his thigh while Y/n drummed the toe of her shoe on the floor, “Are you nervous? Cause I’m nervous,” Y/n looked up at him, hoping she hadn’t misread things.

“I am,” he sighed in relief, “This isn’t like talking on the phone.”

“At all,” she finished with a laugh, “Why are first dates like this?”

“Cause they’re the first one?” His question was a rhetorical one, and tentatively, he offered his arm on walk towards his bike as the cool metal doors slid open with a ding.

Y/n giggled a little, “Well maybe this doesn’t have to be the first one. We met at that party last week, and we’ve been talking on the phone for a while. So this could be like our.....third, fourth date?”

“You’re right. I like that,” Keanu agreed.

“Mhm,” Y/n nodded wistfully, “Modern problems require modern solutions.”

Keanu’s head fell back in a bout of loud laughter, “Isn’t that a.......one of those picture things, with the words and my nephews are always looking at them.”

A fit of giggles erupted from Y/n’s lips, her chest shaking, her eyes almost watering, “A meme?”

“That!” he slapped his thigh, “I can never get that to stick. A meme,” he mused, as if the word were so foreign. “Why is it even called that? What does it mean? What does ‘meme’ mean?”

“I honestly have no idea. I’m from a weird generation and we like weird words,” Y/n laughed and soon, they were approaching his motorcycle; an impressive shiny grey and black bike, set to seat two people. Y/n inhaled deeply, trying to sound lighter than she felt, “You really ride this, huh?”

“I do,” Keanu raised his eyebrows at Y/n’s apparent discomfort with the idea. He wasn’t sure what he was thinking, opting to pick her up with a bike as opposed to his car, maybe he wanted her close, maybe he hadn’t thought of it at all, “Don’t be scared,” he reassured her, grabbing a couple helmets that formerly hung off the handles, “As long as we put safety first,” he offered her one, “We’ll be fine. You’re already halfway there,” Keanu finally gestured to her jacket.

“I don’t know,” Y/n shuddered nervously, “I’ve never been on of these and they go so fast, and there are no doors or seatbelts and,” the more Y/n listened to herself, the more she just wanted to turn around and retreat to the comfort of her apartment. She wanted safety, security and familiarity. That didn’t come with speeding death traps, “It’s just......I....”

“Hey,” Keanu hurriedly dropped the helmets on the seat, grabbing her shoulders, his grip firm but not intimidating, “It’s going to be okay. Just relax and don’t think about it.”

“That’s your advice?” Y/n frowned, eyes wide.

“Yeah?” Keanu cringed, wondering if he could have done better. Taking a deep breath, he decided to give it another go, “Look, I’ve had some accidents, some of them pretty bad.”

“That does not make me feel better,” Y/n’s shoulder slumped and her frowned turned to a pout.

Keanu just chuckled, “Well that’s cause you didn’t let me finish. I’ve had accidents, so now, I know how to prevent them. I promise you’ll be safe. Besides, I’m pretty sure that if something happened to you, Julie would......start looking into a pole dealership of some sort.”

At that, Y/n smiled and Keanu did too. He was just as easy to trust as he was to talk too. When was the last time she let someone make her feel that way? A few years, more than five maybe? Less? Definitely not. “Fine,” she relented, “But this doesn’t mean I’m easy, it just means that you made a good point and I’m mature enough to accept it.”

“I’ll take it,” he declared, once again retrieving the helmets. That time, Y/n cautiously accepted one, putting it on, trying to hold it in place while trying to make sure there wasn’t any hair in her face, something that was perhaps easier said than done. The hard plastic protective dome was either sitting properly a top her head while there was hair falling in her face, or, there was no hair in her face and the helmet actually felt like bulking bowl on her head. No compromise. “Here,” Keanu put his large hands over hers, adjusting and fixing till it was just right.

He was standing so close, his brows furrowed in concentration, his rough fingers brushing her skin, sending shivers down her body. Her line of sight, in those shoes, lined up directly with the exposed skin at his throat and though her head was tilted upwards, all it took was a glance down for her to see where his beard ended and the light shine of the faded scar near the crease of his neck. He smelt like leather, cologne and the undertones of a cigarette long smoked; it was alluring and Y/n knew that after that, the scent would forever be pleasantly associated with him.

Before she could get used to Keanu’s hands grazing her skin, he was finished, they were gone and he was softly smiling down at her. Still so, very close. Why’d he have to be so handsome? “Thanks,” she blushed.

“My pleasure,” he looked as if he were about to say more. He felt like he wanted to do more. The moment was right and there were separated by a mere inch. Y/n was so small, Keanu thought, so pretty. Beautiful, gorgeous, pretty, whatever you wanted to call it, she was it. Dark lipstick stood out against her skin and it was easy to see why she wore it so often. In most of the pictures she had sent from work over the past few days, she had worn a deep red, that for some reason, reminded him of Christmas berries. The one she wore that night though, was the one from the party, easily complementing the rest of her simple, clean cut make-up. 

“Should we get going?” Y/n broke the buzzing silence, probably deciding that if something was going to happen, it would have already.

Keanu nodded slowly, trying to shake himself out of it, “Yeah, we should.” He helped Y/n get on first, and then got on in front of her, “You can hold onto me, or the grips under the seat. Whatever you choose; just relax and don’t make any sudden movements.”

“Got it,” she beamed, her hands going tightly around his waist, her body pressed to his. She could feel his warmth under her fingers and against her front, comforting, his even breathing reminding her that he’d keep them safe.

“Ready?” In a beat, Y/n was confirming that she was and Keanu started the bike, letting it rumble heartily beneath them for a minute before he eased out of the spot, towards the exit of the underground garage. 

When Y/n took off the helmet, running delicate fingers though her hair to neaten it, her eyes were bright and her smile was wide. “You liked it?” Keanu asked, waiting for confirmation of the obvious fact.

“Are you kidding me?” She beamed and a cool breeze passed, rustling their hair a little, bringing with it the refreshing scent of the near by sea, “That. Was. Exhilarating!” Y/n threw her head back in wild laughter and Keanu thought he could get used to seeing her that animated and at ease.

Keanu’s smile widened, his insides doing a happy little happy dance; not only had he talked her into getting on, but as it turns out, Y/n had actually enjoyed it. The ride hadn’t been long though, considering Y/n’s place was about twenty minutes from the first place he had chosen, a nice family-owned restaurant near the Santa Monica pier, it was so small that only a lucky few had found out about it. Most people usually didn’t give the place a second glance, but when finding privacy was as hard as it was for Keanu, you’d give anything a try. And that’s what he had done a couple years before when he had walked into the establishment, not really expecting much. 

The building was small, and tucked away after the string of fancier places had ended, even past a couple pubs that were usually frequented by twenty-something college students over long weekends and spring breaks. The décor was quaint and simple; a charming mix of stylishly worn wooden tables and chairs mixed in with crisp white table cloths and matching cushions upholstered to the booths at the corner. A dim little bell dinged when Keanu pushed in one side of the creaky double doors and his face lit up when Y/n smiled at the scene, mouth opening in awe, “This place is adorable,” she mused quietly.

“You like it? I wasn’t sure if you’d be expecting something.....fancier,” he chuckling, the visible parts of his cheeks going pink, “It’s just this place it private and-”

“It’s perfect Keanu,” she slipped her hand into his, “Its charming, and so quiet, do you come often?” Y/n’s hand stayed in his, joining them a the center of their fingers as he led her to a corner booth where menus already waited.

“Sometimes, when I want to get away from all the craziness and just......get away and have a nice dinner by myself,” he claimed on side of the booth, Y/n sliding into the other, “It’s actually one of my favorite spots around here.”

“Kind of feels like you’re letting me in on one of your secrets,” Y/n mused with a softened smile.

He was.

Keanu couldn’t recall having ever taking someone there before Y/n, he didn’t think he had ever trusted another with something that close to him. The restaurant, at least to Keanu, wasn’t just a place, it was his own little escape from the drama of fame, the staff didn’t treat him like he was royalty, and often, there was so little people that he wouldn't have to worry about being photographed or whispered about. He liked it, and in an attempt to protect it and maybe himself,  Keanu had kept it from those around him. But then he asked Y/n out, and every place that he could think of seemed too impersonal and generic. He wanted to connect with her, give her an experience that she wasn’t expecting, something that she’d enjoy, that might guarantee him another date. 

Keanu waited until the waitress had taken their orders and the menus before responding, “I didn’t want this to be......manufactured,” he gestured wildly, “Like every other first date, I wanted it to be special, I wanted you to enjoy it because it’s real, not because it fits into some kind of standardized expectation,” Keanu shook his head, going to nervously drum the table top with his hands, suddenly worried that he might have said too much too soon.

Y/n tentatively sipped her water, eyeing him, amused, “I get that,” she nodded, “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a first date, or maybe any date, where the guy put in this much effort.”

Feeling a rare swell of confidence, probably stemming from the pride that he had managed to impress her, and the excitement of actually sitting across from her, Keanu reached for her hand on the table, shrugging absently, “Maybe you've just been dating the wrong guys.”

“Maybe.”

Dinner had gone by without the slightest hitch. The food had been great and the company even better. Y/n and Keanu had spent about three hours at the little restaurant, talking about everything and nothing at all. She had told him how she and Julie had met; on the first day of kindergarten so many moons ago and he had told her about what it was like growing up while travelling as much as his family had. They had seemed to connect on some indistinguishable level, the way one could on a first date and then a little more; like old friends who were just stepping into something less platonic. 

After Keanu had cleared the check, even upon Y/n’s instance to split it, they had walked back to his back and that time, she gotten on excitedly, without protest. He didn’t take her home right then, instead they went in little ways into the city, to a more popular place that was still, for the most part, a gem among the many Los Angeles dives. 

“A speakeasy!” Y/n gasped, grabbing his forearm as they entered. It was a little larger than the restaurant at the pier, with a series of low hanging chandeliers emitting dim yellow lighting, making rich mahogany and oak furniture seem darker than it was. Glass liquor bottles glittered dramatically behind the bar, manned by two men dressed to loosely reflect the era, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You’d have dressed like a flapper?” He joked and strode up to the bar, paying for an old fashioned for him and a cheery looking mint julep for Y/n. 

Y/n’s eyes travelled around the room, looking for the source of the soft jazz music adding to the mood, taking the first sip of her twenties inspired drink, “I might have.”

Keanu chuckled quietly, appreciating her unspoken wonder; he hadn’t expected her to be so in awe of a place like that, but he was glad she seemed to like it. Y/n looked like a dream when she smiled. If he was that smitten then, Keanu couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if he got the chance to see where they went, “Somehow I can’t imagine you all decked off in the whole,” he made an exaggerated motion with his free hand, unable to find words that would fit.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been obsessed with that stuff since I read the Great Gatsby for Ap Literature! It’s one of my favorites,”  Y/n ended, blushing. “So what’s the story behind this place?” She leaned in conspiringly, ring adorned fingers toying with the bottom of her glass.

“What makes you think there’s a story?” Keanu licked his lips, his hands absently going over hers, easily engulfing them, marveling at how smooth and soft they were.

Briefly, for the slightest second, Y/n glanced down at their hands; closed in together around her glass, thinking that she could get used to the feeling of his skin on hers, “You don’t seem like the kind of guy that just does something without purpose. You had to have known about this place, how’d you find it? Why do you like it?”

Keanu shrugged, and Y/n felt like she had figured him out, at least, part of him, “When I come here, it feels like I’m going back in time for a while. Like I’m closed off from the rest of the city; it’s not crowded and loud like those other places, and the people that come here,” Keanu quickly looked around them, other patrons occupying tables and booths against the walls, some loners at the bar and a couple swaying slowly in the center of the room, “They’re looking for something just like this too. They just want to enjoy a few drinks without.....”

“A bar fight and someone hitting on them,” Y/n finished for him.

“Yeah,” Keanu grinned, leaning back into his side of the booth, reaching for his half finished drink.

As the night waned on, Y/n and Keanu had drawn further into the center of the rounded booth, not stopping until Y/n was comfortably close and one of Keanu’s arms was draped around her shoulders, cuddling her close. For the rest of the night, even past closing time, they had remained engaged in hushed conversation, their faces close together as one worker swept the floor and another wiped down the counter, eyeing them with visible annoyance. Neither of them noticed though, too caught up in each other, and eventually, soft speaking had turned to brief pecks.

Keanu’s hand moved to gently cradle the back of her neck, tangling in her hair, and Y/n’s cupped his cheek, his beard tickling her palm, her thumb grazing  his cheek bone, “You taste like rum and mint,” he commented softly when they broke, trying to ignore the fact that already, his lips had started to miss hers.

“And you taste like whiskey,” Y/n giggled before going in for another. The glasses sat forgotten on the table and when Keanu playfully grabbed her bottom lip between his teeth, Y/n smirked against his lips. Their noses were pressed together and Y/n felt like she was melting into him, in the best of way. Their kisses weren’t sexual or hinting at things to come, but they were promising in a different way, a way that was enough for them both in the moment.

Near the table, someone cleared their throat and Y/n and Keanu sprang apart, smirking like teenagers who had just gotten caught under the bleachers, “We should go,” Y/n suggested, trying to stifle her laughter.

“We should,” Keanu agreed, and for a minute, they both just sat there, drinking each other in, before he reached for her hand, leading her out the booth. When their tab had been settled, they walked back to his bike, engaging in yet another juvenile make out session, thankfully protected by the darkness until Keanu suggested that they actually get to leaving.

She had clung to Keanu tighter than she had the first two or three times and when they finally reached Y/n’s building, Keanu felt his heart sink a little at the thought of letting her go.

“I had fun tonight,” Y/n breathed dreamily as they reached her door and she fished her keys out of her pocket.

Keanu nodded, “I did too, it was....amazing,” he sighed in agreement.

“It was,” Y/n stood on the tips of her toes, her lips pressed to his, Keanu’s arms snaking around her waist, her hands holding onto his shoulders for balance.

“Can I see you tomorrow?” Her door was already opened, and they had already had several ‘goodnight’ kisses by then.

Y/n raised an amused eye brow, “No three day rule?” She teased.

“Fuck three days,” he scoffed, then casting his head down, “If you’re busy-”

“I’m not. Come by tomorrow. There’s this place on the beach we can go to, and we can go for a walk; it’ll be fun.”

“Great,” Keanu shoved in hands into his pockets, in a throw away attempt to keep them off Y/n, “I’ll see you tomorrow, around five?”

“That’s perfect,” Y/n agreed, offering one final peck on the lips before bidding him goodnight, for real that time. Then, when she was sure that Keanu was out of ear shot, she leaned against the locked front door, squealing in excitement, only stopping so she could give Julie a call, and replay the whole thing.

********