Queen of the Pirates

Pop Idol AU Filler Chapter 3

The past twenty-four hours have been the longest of my entire life. It felt like I was never going to be able to see my parents to begin the process of figuring out what to do about my relationship being outed to the world. Every minute that passed with silence from our side gave the media outlets the opportunity to speculate and start spreading their version of what they believe has been happening. My anxiety has been steadily climbing since I saw the first article that broke the news for everyone.

Once the front room gathering was moved to the living room for everyone to be more spread out, I was insistent about seeing the original article that spilled the secret. All the girls were against it before the full request had left my lips, and even a couple of the boys were not huge fans of letting me see it. Luffy had to come to my side to tell everyone that I am old enough to make decisions for myself, and that I should be able to see an article that pertains to me. It is no different than the hundreds of other articles I've read throughout my idol career.

Nami was the one to pull it up on her phone and show me. To say I was livid would be an understatement. There weren't just pictures of us kissing, but our whole date seemed to be documented by some creep that wanted to break a big story when all I wanted was a week to relax and feel like a teenager again. I knew the risks when I joined Straw Hat Co. and pursued my dream of becoming a popstar, but sometimes I can't even fathom the boundaries people will cross. I didn't have any more tears for the bastard that did this; I was only angry that the chance to let everyone know about Luffy and I was stripped away from me.

Until I was panicking about what everyone must be thinking, and what all the other media outlets were going to say about this huge bombshell being dropped. I've had to harden myself against what the outside world thinks about how I look, and sing, and dance, and everything about me because there are mean people out there that want to tear me down. If I was a solo artist, I don't think I would have survived one week. We're each other's best support system. Nothing keeps me down for long, but there's something different about this. Even if I want to let everyone know about the love I have for my boyfriend, I can't help feeling anxious about what people are going to say.

"I feel bad that you couldn't fall asleep last night, dumpling," Luffy pouts, running a hand through my hair. "You kept flipping around, and when you're sleeping, you stay curled up into me."

We're standing outside the one office in the house that my parents have set up as their base of operations for however long they need to be here. While my father is retired, my mother loves her work, and my father loves to be right by her side.

"I tried so hard to, but every time I would fall asleep, my dreams weren't being nice," I reach over to grab his hand with both of mine. "I'm sorry if I kept you up. I tried to roll away, but you just kept wrapping your arms around me and pulling me back."

"I can't sleep if I'm not holding you. Remember when we took the tour bus and I climbed into your bunk in the middle of the night? We were squished, but it was the best sleep we had had all tour. There's a reason that it was. I hated sleeping alone, and I feel much better with you right by my side. I love you," he tenderly smiles.

"I love you," I hum. "Even with the stress of all of this, nothing is ever going to change that fact. No matter what anyone says, I am always going to love you. You're the only one I know can love me for me. Not for Angel, but as Akari. That means the world to me."

"Even when you're on stage, you're still just Akari to me. You're just putting on a little act, but I know that when the lights go down and you come off the stage, you're going to be my sweet Akari once more. Angel is just a shell for a moment," he shrugs. "That's why I don't care about what people think about us. They don't know us. They know an act we are putting on."