Echoes of Midnight (Johnnie Gilbert x Reader)

Searching for Pieces

Summary: In the wake of your separation from Johnnie, life feels like a series of hollow moments. Both of you struggle to adapt to the emptiness left behind. But as the days pass, clarity begins to emerge. Will the time apart help you heal and find your way back to each other—or will it cement the distance between you forever?

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The first few days without Johnnie felt surreal, like you were living in a bad dream that refused to end. You moved through life on autopilot, going through the motions of your daily routine while your mind replayed your last conversation with him over and over again. Every corner of your apartment seemed to hold a memory of him—his laughter echoing in the kitchen, the faint scent of his cologne clinging to your couch cushions.

You tried to distract yourself, to focus on work, friends, anything to keep your mind from drifting back to him. But no matter what you did, he was always there, a ghost haunting the edges of your thoughts.

Your phone, once a source of comfort, now felt like a weight in your pocket. The notifications had slowed, but they hadn't stopped entirely. Fans continued to speculate about your relationship, and every new post or message felt like salt in the wound. You stopped checking your social media altogether, unable to face the constant reminders of what you had lost.

One night, unable to sleep, you found yourself sitting on the floor of your living room, scrolling through old photos on your phone. There were dozens of pictures of you and Johnnie—laughing, posing, stealing kisses when you thought no one was looking. Each image felt like a small dagger to your heart, a reminder of the happiness you had once shared.

You stopped on a photo of the two of you from one of your first dates, sitting on a picnic blanket in the park. The sunlight had caught in Johnnie's hair, and his smile was so bright, so genuine, that it made your chest ache. You remembered how he had made you laugh that day, how easy and effortless everything had felt.

Tears blurred your vision, and you quickly set the phone aside, pulling your knees to your chest as you tried to hold yourself together. But the tears came anyway, and for the first time since you'd walked out of his apartment, you let yourself break.

Johnnie wasn't doing much better. He threw himself into his music, spending hours in the studio, writing and recording until his fingers ached from strumming his guitar. But no matter how hard he tried to lose himself in his work, the emptiness you had left behind was always there, gnawing at the edges of his heart.

His bandmates noticed the change in him. They didn't push, didn't ask questions, but their concerned glances and gentle offers of support didn't go unnoticed. Johnnie appreciated their patience, even as he struggled to put his feelings into words.

Late one night, as he sat alone in the studio, he picked up his guitar and began to play a familiar melody. It was a song he had been working on before everything fell apart, a song inspired by you. The notes felt heavier now, weighed down by the memories they carried, but he couldn't stop playing.

The lyrics came slowly, each word a piece of his heart laid bare. It was a song about love and loss, about the struggle to hold on when everything seemed to be slipping away. By the time he finished, his cheeks were damp with tears, and he felt more vulnerable than he had in years.

But there was also a sense of clarity, a realization that he couldn't keep running from his feelings. He loved you, and no amount of time or distance could change that.

As the days turned into weeks, the pain began to soften, like a bruise that was slowly fading. You still missed Johnnie, but the raw ache in your chest had dulled into something more manageable. You started to focus on yourself, on the things that made you happy outside of your relationship.

You picked up hobbies you'd neglected, spent time with friends you hadn't seen in months, and slowly began to rebuild the pieces of yourself that had been overshadowed by the chaos of the past few months.

But no matter how hard you tried, there was always a part of you that felt incomplete, as if something essential was missing. And you knew, deep down, that the missing piece was Johnnie.

One afternoon, as you were cleaning your apartment, your phone buzzed on the counter. You glanced at the screen, expecting another spam notification or message from a friend, but your heart stopped when you saw his name.

Johnnie: Hey. Can we talk?

You stared at the message for what felt like an eternity, your mind racing. Part of you wanted to ignore it, to protect yourself from the possibility of more pain. But another part of you, the part that still loved him with every fibre of your being, knew that you couldn't walk away from this.

With trembling fingers, you typed out a reply.

You: Yeah. When?

The response came almost immediately.

Johnnie: Tonight? My place?

You hesitated, your heart pounding in your chest. But then you took a deep breath, steeling yourself.

You: Okay. See you then.

When you arrived at Johnnie's apartment that evening, your stomach was in knots. You had no idea what to expect, no idea what he wanted to say. But as soon as he opened the door, and you saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the tension in your chest eased just slightly.

"Hey," he said softly, stepping aside to let you in.

"Hi," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

The two of you stood there for a moment, the silence heavy with unspoken words. Finally, Johnnie motioned for you to sit down, and you followed him to the couch, your hands fidgeting nervously in your lap.

"I've missed you," he said after a moment, his voice thick with emotion. "I've missed us."

You looked at him, your heart clenching at the raw honesty in his eyes. "I've missed you too."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I realized that walking away from you was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I thought I was protecting you, but all I did was hurt you—and myself."

Your throat tightened, and you blinked back tears. "Johnnie, I don't know if we can go back to the way things were. So much has happened, and—"

"I don't want to go back," he interrupted, his voice firm but gentle. "I want to move forward—with you. I know it won't be easy, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this work. I just need to know if you're willing to try too."

You looked at him, his face open and vulnerable, and you felt the walls around your heart begin to crumble. Despite everything, you still loved him. And maybe that love was enough to give you both another chance.

"I'm willing to try," you said softly, a small smile breaking through your tears. "But we have to do things differently this time. We have to communicate, to be honest with each other."

Johnnie nodded, reaching for your hand and holding it tightly. "I promise. No more running, no more hiding. Just us."

And as you sat there together, hands entwined, you felt a spark of hope begin to bloom in your chest. The road ahead wouldn't be easy, but for the first time in weeks, you felt like you could face it—together.

End of Chapter Seven

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