❝is this how it goes? you fall in love, and nothing seems truly scary anymore, and life is one big possibility?❞
─ jenny han, always & forever, lara jean

Charlie was pretty damn tired of running after Skeeter in a busy hospital for the past thirty minutes. He told her this when he cornered the surgeon in a hallway after she did her usual rounds. 

"Then, stop it." Skeeter snapped, walking through the hospital halls while keeping her eyes glued on the clipboard. "If you're tired, then stop it." 

Charlie placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Skeet. We need to talk about this." 

She shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about, Charlie. You didn't tell me you were moving ─ my best friend! My best friend forgot to tell me that he had made a life-changing decision." 

"Skeeter." He looked around for a bit and leaned in closer, "I'm going to be a father." 

She flinched back, eyes wide and mouth agape. "W ─ what?"

"Alec and I are adopting." Charlie was sure he was smiling as wide as a Cheshire cat as he bounced in place. He might've looked like a dork but he was just excited to share this type of news with his best friend. "The adoption process is quite long but we decided that we'd raise her in DC where most of our family are."

He had known her for a long time; he was sure this was the part where Skeeter's anger would dissipate. Judging by her pursing lips and scrunched eyebrows, she was well on her way to realizing her faults. That was one of the things Charlie admired about her: her ability to swallow her pride and apologize though that trait may vary from the severity of the fault (note for the future: don't expect Skeeter to forgive you within three working days when you stand in the way of her and a cup of coffee). 

"I'm sorry." There it was. "You could've told me that before you and Alec dropped the we're moving bomb." 

Charlie winced. "I'm sorry about that."

Skeeter went to the nurse's station to return the patient's charts. She leaned back on the counter to face her best friend and smiled softly, "So, you're going to have a daughter?"

"It seems so. It's just. . .she's not going to have a mother figure in her life, you know? Of course, other than you but it's ─ "

"It's different because you're two men?" When she was met with his disheartened expression, she sighed and reached for his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Charlie, you and Alec are probably the most empathetic and welcoming people I know. Any kid would be lucky to grow up in such a loving environment."

"You really think so, Skeet?"

She nodded. "Yep. You're going to be such a great dad." 

He smiled at her ─ grateful and full of hope ─ before their pagers went off and they were in their usual routine of speed walking through the hospital, dodging other healthcare professionals and turning corners to get to the Emergency Department. Charlie bumped his elbow to hers and asked, "Celebratory drinks tonight?"

"Can't. I owe someone a birthday drink."

"Hmmm. . .would I know this someone?"

Skeeter shrugged nonchalantly. "Possibly." 

"Did this someone happen have his birthday three days ago?"

"Wait, what was the date three days ago?"

"September 2."

"Huh. Uh ─ I guess you can say that?"

"Is that a question or an answer?" 

"Whoa!" Skeeter gasped as they saw the incoming trauma patient, a grin already forming on her lips. "That guy is practically buried in cement!"

"Are you going on a date with Keanu?"

"It's. Cement. Charlie, cement!"

He rolled his eyes as he helped her tie her trauma gown from behind. "Only you would find that more exciting than dating." 

"Hell, yeah!" She winked and ─ it may have been the last times Skeeter and Charlie would do it ─ but they pushed through the doors and into the medical war-zone. Together. 

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ────── ⊰

"Skeeter, that man was hitting on you." Keanu stated as they went up the stairs, "I could hear his compliments from a mile away."

To this, she scoffed and shook her head, the raindrops from her hair falling onto her jacket. "Nah. He probably saw you and used me as an excuse to stand close to a Hollywood actor. It happens all the time."

"It does?"

"Yep. When your brother plays Captain America and the other is starring in a hit Netflix show, you get that kind of vibes from people."

"Huh. . .I never thought of it that way."

"And, besides, I don't think he would've liked me anyway."

"Why not? You're very easy to like, Skeeter." 

Leaning her back against the apartment door, Skeeter smiled up at him, blue eyes gazing over Keanu's rugged features ─ his heart-shaped face, the long and slightly crooked nose that looked good on him, the patchy beard that he had right after filming. "Merci beaucoup (thank you very much)."

She wasn't sure why she had sudden urge to memorize his face (add to that the effort of retaining the feelings of comfort and state of easiness whenever she was with him ─ no, never-mind. That wasn't important and she didn't want to touch those feelings just yet). Maybe it was because the real thing was different from the pictures online. . .

The flashing cameras wouldn't be able to catch the way his eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled or how he would brush a hand over his mouth before he would say something. But. . .what about those feelings of comfort and ease? 

"You know French?" He asked and Skeeter swore he could detect a flash of panic in his brown eyes. 

"The Internet is very useful." She replied, crossing one ankle over the other. "However, I couldn't remember the exact words you said. I mean, that was weeks ago and my head wasn't in the right space!" 

Keanu stepped closer to her (and Skeeter prayed he couldn't see how her breath somewhat hitched). "Do you want to know what it means?" He asked softly, eyes boring into hers. "Je crois que j'ai des sentiments pour toi."

Skeeter managed to croak out a nervous laugh and clicked her tongue. Jokingly, she rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, monsieur (sir). No need to repeat it and show-off. I already feel inadequate with Ruth's ─ "

"I think I have feelings for you." He did anything but blurt it out; he said it slow and steady as if this was a thought he had for months. "That's what it meant." 

"Ow! Shit!" Skeeter flinched back which resulted to hitting the back of her head on the door. 

Before she could reach her hand to rub the spot that had been hit, his large hand was already cradling her head. "Skeeter, I know you feel what I feel."

Truth be told, Skeeter was still reeling in from the revelation and a possible mild concussion due to her reaction from said revelation. She hoped it was the latter and she was hallucinating. If only she hadn't said two French words, they wouldn't be in this mess because ─ boy, oh boy ─ Skeeter wasn't ready for any of this complicated shit after a night at some dive bar. 

As a trauma surgeon, Skeeter was used to thinking on her feet. Give her a patient with a bullet wound to the chest, a case of whiplash due to a car accident, a third-degree burn on a patient's back and she'll know how to react right away ─ almost like instinct. But this. . .this was like diving into the ocean and seeing only darkness. Swimming in pitch-black darkness wasn't her forte; being in relationships wasn't her forte. So, she does this instead:

"I ─ I don't." 

It was his turn to flinch back. "Really? All those honest conversations, cups of coffee, and conspiracy theories all boil down to nothing?"

"I'm sorry, Keanu."

"Okay." 

And, he respectfully backed off. After clapping her on the shoulder and flashing her a closed-mouth smile, Keanu bid her goodbye and walked out of the building to call for a cab to the airport. As soon as he left, the air felt heavy around her. 

For awhile, Skeeter just stared at the floor, hoping that it would just swallow her up. She jolted when a clap of thunder rang through the hallway and ─

Shit. 

I need to go after him. I need to tell him. 

Skeeter sprinted out of her apartment and down the stairs. The years of training in the Track & Field team in her high school and college days finally coming into use. Because of the fast-paced thoughts swirling in her head and erratically beating heart threatening to burst out of her chest, Skeeter had left her umbrella by the front door. Honestly, she didn't care. Adrenaline was pumping in her veins as her Converse made contact with the wet streets. 

Finally, Skeeter turned a corner and saw a tall figure under an umbrella, waiting for a taxi to pass by. She squinted at the man's luggage for a bit and saw that it was the all-too familiar black bag that led to their first meeting at the Haven Hotel. 

"Keanu!" Skeeter yelled, running to him. She could feel her clothes sticking to her skin and her hair begin to dampen again because of the raindrops. "Hey, I need to tell you something too!" 

But what the hell am I supposed to say?

He turned to the sound of her voice, eyes squinting to make out who was yelling his name. "Skeeter? What are you doing? You'll get sick!"

"Just let me talk for a bit, okay?" She told him. She noticed that he had walked closer to her. His umbrella was hovering the both of them but honestly it was no use since she basically looked like a wet cat at this point. 

"I just ─ back there in the hallway ─ I feel ─ " Closing her eyes, she attempted to regain her breathing. Breath in and out. Breath in and out. When she looked at him again, there was worry and bit of hope in his eyes.

"Look, I'm a doctor and I believe in science and logic a lot. I don't believe in fate or destiny or love at first sight because our actions are just effects of decisions made in our brains. But ─ but that night at the hotel, when you showed up to switch back our luggage, you told me that no one deserved to be lonely. You said everybody needed somebody."

"And you told me not everyone finds one."

"But, you insisted anyway! This is going to sound absolutely over-dramatic but I think you're my somebody. And. . .and I think I can be yours too because I ─ I have feelings for you ─ untroubled and terrifying feelings. We can ─ uh ─ talk this out, I guess? Preferably under a roof and a change of clothes but only if. . .if you'll still have me that it is."

She stared at him but this time it wasn't to a̶d̶m̶i̶r̶e̶  memorize his features. This time it was to decipher what he was thinking. She realized this must have been what he had felt ten minutes ago. Telling someone how you felt was daunting and exhilarating all at the same time.

"Skeeter," Keanu said, his voice low and brows furrowed. Oh god, this was about to go down as one of the most humiliating moments of her life. "It's pretty crass of you to run out here without an umbrella."

"Did you ─ did you just call me stupid?"

He cracked a smile. "Yes, I did. You can prove to me how I'm absolutely wrong when we get inside your apartment." 

"Okay." 

For now, Skeeter was swimming in darkness. However, she was hopeful that some light would come her way.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
aaand that ends
act 1!! i have a LOT
of things planned
for these two smol
beans and please
tell me what you
think of this chap
because i feel it's a
bit EH ty!!!! 💖💖💖