Downtown's Lights [A Timothée Chalamet Romance]

Part 2

He's taking his headphones out, now the hat. OH, GOD WHY. This is horrible. I run my fingers through my hair and sweep my half-grown out bangs behind my ear. I can feel my face get warm. It betrays me every time. Since I was a kid, I could never hide my stress or my embarrassment, and a blush would always creep its way up my neck to my cheeks. I take a deep breath in and out of my nose.

He plays with his hat strap in his hands as he walks over. As he gets closer, I notice that he's changed a lot since high school. For one, he's finally hit his growth spurt, and his baby face has hollowed out, making his cheekbones more prominent.

"AJ Bisset? Is that you?" His voice is also deeper than I remember. Noted. He smiles at me, his bright brown eyes now in full view.

"Oh my God, hi!" I smile at him. We awkwardly hug, and I kiss him on the cheek out of habit before remembering we're in New York. Nice one, Frenchie. If I startled him, I can't tell, I mean he's French too so he can't be too weirded out, I hope. I can't help feeling a little embarrassed anyways as he properly looks at me, taking stock of what's in front of him. He quickly brings his eyes back to mine.

"I didn't realize we were on the same flight, that's so crazy! How-how are you?" He seems to be a little more alert as if he's suddenly recognized the situation he's willingly put himself in.

"I know, I literally didn't see you either! I'm good, surprised to see you and a little tired, but good. Were you in Paris?" I try to keep a relaxed and interested expression on my face. I can feel my cheeks start to cool.

"Yeah, just for a couple of weeks. I'm home for a while before I start a new job. I didn't realize you still live in New York," he brings his hand up and rubs the back of his neck, looking up at me.

"Oh, I don't, I live in Le Marais. I'm just home for a while, too, although I don't have any work lined up," I laugh at myself a little.

"Ah, well it's cool we'll both be home for a bit, maybe I'll see you around," he smiles at me once again and glances towards the bags. I look quickly and realize there is only one duffel bag going around the carousel.

"Sorry, I don't mean to hold you up. Your bag looks lonely. And yeah, I'm sure we're bound to run into each other-," I trail off as he startles at the chiming of his phone. He grabs it out of his pocket, eyebrows knitting together as he scans the message. He quickly pockets his phone, his features relax.

"Hey, I was the one who came over to say hi, so if anything, I'm holding myself up. It was a good surprise to see you. Buuut, my car is here and do have to go." He smiles apologetically and just like that, he has his hat back on, shading his eyes once again from the bright airport lights and obscuring my view. He grabs his bag just before it slipped around the corner.

I tuck my hair that's slipped out behind my ear, "Yeah, of course. Okay then, I'll see you around Timmy." Wait, do people still call him that? Should I have called him Timothée, no, no, that would've been weirder? I mean, we do know each other...

He slips his bag over his shoulder and chuckles, and I think I hear a hint of surprise. "Timmy sounds kind of funny in a French accent; I like it. See you around, AJ." He flashes me a smile and walks away. I watch him walk out the front doors.

I stand there for a minute, processing what turned into not a completely disastrous interaction before I realize I need to figure out a way to get home. "Putain," I groan, looking down at my two suitcases that definitely weigh more than I can comfortably maneuver on the subway. I take a breath and realize that I haven't had a cigarette and in like ten hours. Rolling my two suitcases outside into the brisk April night, I rifle through my canvas bag that has been serving as a purse since I had my last one stolen at a café a month ago. I fish out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, inhaling I weigh my options and decide to call an Uber. Thankfully, I can afford it today. My paychecks from my last two jobs got deposited last week, so I'll see how far I can stretch it.

I finish my cigarette just as my driver pulls up. I wave at him through the passenger side window and smile as he gets out and heaves my suitcases into his trunk. I slide in the backseat, put my headphones in, and pull my hood back on. I edit and post my insta of a very cliché city skyline out of an airplane window picture announcing my homecoming.

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lilbabyAJ: happiest version of me is at home 🥺🥰 cannot wait to see my ppl 🦋