Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jules and anything without a copyright symbol beside it. I also do not own any of the music or movies quoted in this except on DVD or CD.
Summary: "So why Tokyo?" She knew the answer but she wanted to know it from him. "No extradition." "So you're a regular cowboy? Bet your mama's proud." She replied as a joke and saw him smile as she swept her bangs from her face. "She is." Han had a thing for motorcycles, leather and pretty girls a long time before Giselle came around. Based on the song "You and I" By Lady Gaga, named after "Mama's Don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys" By Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Spoilers for everything from Better Luck Tomorrow (where Han Lue is introduced to the criminal world) to all five Fast and Furious movies. So if I ruin it for anyone…sorry!
So it's one am here – I can't sleep and I was meant to upload way earlier but got distracted. Thank you all that reviewed- it is much appreciated and I would name you all separately but as you can tell it's one am I am tired and well…just read on. Thank you though- you guys rock!
Playlist- Well my favourite song ever at the moment and the defining song for this story- You and I by Lady Gaga- listen to it!
Chapter Fourteen – In which birthday wishes are granted
Sit back down where you belong
In the corner of my bar
With your high heels on
Sit back down on the couch
Where we made love
The first time and you said to me…
The long straight strands ran through Jules' fingers as she leant back in her chair at work at work and glanced over at the screen of her computer. The email Joanna had sent her from a shop down in the city was displayed on the screen. Joanna needed a date to a birthday party that night and considering all the men in her life were busy, Joanna was picking up a dress from the shop for Jules. The last thing she felt like doing was partying. But she needed to get back out there.
It helped a little bit that Han had sent her an email that week asking if she'd be free to teach Twinkie how to fix the cracked radiator in the civic down at his garage.
Sighing she turned the computer off and left the office, locking the doors behind her and making her way back to her bike.
Joanna appeared at the door a few hours later brandishing a clothes bag at Jules.
"Hun, you've got to get back on the horse." Joanna said as Jules stripped off her pyjamas and pulled the short white dress over her head and searched for a pair of red heels in her wardrobe.
"What horse?" She said, buckling up the straps on the shoes and stepping out into the living room.
"The one that threw you so hard you hit your head and forgot about living your life, love." Her boss replied and threw a coat at Jules. "Come on, we're beyond fashionably late."
Joanna had sufficiently distracted Jules as they sat in the back of the black SUV on their way to the party. When they climbed out Jules stopped dead at the front door before whipping her head around to face Joanna.
"You punk'd me!" She exclaimed and Joanna wrapped an arm around Jules' waist and pulled her towards the door, both of them getting greeted by the doorman.
"Like I said, Jules, back on the horse. Besides I didn't have time to pick up a birthday present so I had to improvise." Jules bit her tongue to prevent herself from chewing out her boss.
Joanna led Jules through the front of the club and down the hall to the VIP room, passing people still making their way between rooms.
"So you're passing me off as a birthday present?" Jules said as they pushed through the door into the bright room.
"Sorry love." Joanna took the opportunity to disappear and left Jules standing there in the doorway of the room, staring out over the crowd. Well now or never. She stepped off the step and down onto the floor and searched for someone she knew. From a distance she could make out DK and Neela in the corner and she made her way over to her cousin. Neela hugged her tightly as soon as she saw her and DK gave her a nod. She felt an arm around her shoulders and Jules turned her head to see Gia standing beside her.
"Haven't seen you in a long time." Her Brazilian accent tainted her words and Jules looked up at the woman.
"Hi Gia." Stepping away from her cousin she sat down at a booth with Gia. "Thank you again for what you did." She said, as Gia smoothed down her skirt.
"That's fine hun, really. I'm glad you could make it." Her eyes drifted over to the loft door as it opened and she smiled brightly. "So is someone else." Jules looked over in the same direction and saw Han walking towards them, a small smile on his face. "Happy birthday, gorgeous." Gia said, standing up and hugging Han and giving him a kiss on the cheek before looking knowingly at Jules and walking away.
Jules stood up and smoothed over her skirt and made her way over to Han, her fingers laced together behind her back.
"Happy birthday." She said, trying to keep the shyness she was feeling out of her voice. Hans grin showed a few teeth as she stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, his hand automatically going to the small of her back. "Sorry I didn't get you a present." She said stepping back and Hans hand fell to his side.
"I don't need presents." He said and rocked back on his heels, his hands in his pockets. If Jules didn't know any better she would have thought he was nervous.
"So forty-one – how does it feel?" She teased and Han just shook his head.
"Like I'm twenty-five again." He replied and Jules grinned, unable to help herself. She'd forgotten his effect on her, the way his broad shoulders filled out his dark blue button up shirt and his dark hair pushed back from his face.
"That's good because it looks to me like it's going to be a big night." She looked around at the crowded room.
"No kidding." Han said, following her gaze before turning his attention back to her, admiring the way she looked in the tight white dress and her long spiked heels. "Can I get you a drink?" he asked and Jules nodded, turning her attention back to him.
"A water would be great." She walked towards the bar and Han followed, placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd to the bar.
"Can I get a water and beer?" He said to the barmaid and turned his attention back to Jules. "So water?"
"I think its best that I give up certain things that impair my judgement for a while." Her implying tone made him raise his eyebrows as a beer and a tall glass of water was placed on the bar.
"All things?" He asked and Jules smiled knowingly and the message got across easily. Maybe not all things.
"Han!" A shriek came from behind them and Jules found Han suddenly surrounded by women. Taking her opportunity to get away she searched for Twinkie but couldn't find him so she made her way over to a booth.
The music in the room was a lot softer than the music in the front part of the building. Jules sat on a table in the corner, her legs swinging back and forth underneath her, her spiked heels hitting the legs of the table every so often. Sipping at her water she smiled at the sight of Han laughing in the corner with a bunch of girls. He looked so happy.
"They're about to bring out the cake." Gia appeared beside Jules and they both watched as a loud cheer went up and a girl wearing a black slinky dress carried out a huge cake with candles all over it. Everyone broke into a chorus of Happy Birthday and Jules joined in, singing loudly with the rest of them as the girl placed the cake down on the table and Han blew out all the candles in a few breaths and they all clapped.
"You want another water?" Gia asked and Jules nodded before the woman disappeared and Jules was left watching someone cut up the cake and hand pieces out to everyone that was lined up.
"From the birthday boy." Twink appeared beside her and handed her a piece of cake.
"Thanks Twink." She shifted on the table and Twinkie jumped up beside her. "So hows life? Are you still pretending you live in the bachelor pad?" Using her thumb and forefinger she broke off some cake and put it in her mouth.
"Pretty sweet. That place is bangin' ya' know?" He said, nodding at his own words.
"Well good, I hope you're still going to school." Twinkie gave her an unamused look that told her he was still going.
"Man, Han drops me off every morning just to make sure I go. And if he doesn't take me because he's working. Gia takes me, and that chick is just scary." He said and Jules bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
"You know the rules, kid." She laughed and Gia returned with drinks, handing Jules her water. "Besides do you want to be some high school drop out?" She said sipping her drink.
"Han didn't go to college, and neither did you." Twink defended himself and Jules laughed.
"Hun, we don't have college in Australia. And Han finished high school. And he would have gone to college too, if he hadn't been pre-occupied." She knew that Han didn't like talking about his time before Tokyo, but from what he had told her, his last year of high school had been pretty rough and he'd joined up with some racing team in Los Angeles sometime after. "And I'm not saying college- I'm saying school." She added.
"Yeah, whatever, J." Jules wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. He needed some sort of mother figure.
"Cheer up kid. Besides how cool is it being dropped off to school by Han?" She grinned and Twinkie nodded. That's what she thought- Han was cool, he had that aura about him.
"It's pretty cool. It's better when Gia drops me off. Everyone thinks I'm dating a model." Jules laughed out loud at that.
"So I take it you didn't tell them she's your aunt?"
"Oh hell no!" Twinkie said, sitting back and staring at Jules incredulously. "Why would I do something stupid like that? Yo," He jerked his head towards the crowd near Han. "Someone wants you." Jules looked over at Han still sitting in the booth. He lifted his head in greeting and Jules slid off the table handing Twinkie the piece of untouched cake.
"Go find some nice girl that eats." She said before walking over and sitting beside Han. "What's up birthday boy?" She asked coyly as he looped and arm around her waist.
"Jo said you're my birthday present." He said, raising his eyebrows at her. "I'm just making the most of it." She had to admit she loved the way they fell back into their easy friendship.
"Well who am I to disappoint?"
Jules sat beside Han for the rest of the night, even as other girls came and talked to him, one arm always remained firmly wrapped around her waist.
Hours later people started to leave or make their way out to the loft to end the night. Jules soon found her and Han alone on the long red leather couch in the back of the bar, talking about the cars that Han had waiting down in the garage.
"You'd be better off giving DK the skyline if you want the Supra." Jules argued and Han shook his head.
"I don't know how I've coped the last few months without your opinion Jules." He teased and Jules laughed.
"Me neither. I'm surprised you haven't gone bankrupt without me." She said feigning aloofness as he watched her with interest.
"So have you made you mind up about what you want?" He asked, his tone serious and Jules had to drop her head down to look him in the eye. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest and she knew that the decision had been made a long time ago. He was what she wanted.
"Yes." Seizing the opportunity she leant forward and kissed him hard. It felt good to be able to have control over what she was doing. There was no need for alcohol to spur her on. Han kissed her back, moving closer to pull her onto his lap and Jules straddled it, lacing her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck as she knelt on the couch. Hans hands reached around and pulled her thighs closer to him and Jules leaned into him, relishing the taste of sugar on his tongue. Her fingers worked urgently at the buttons on his shirt as his hands slid up the hem of her dress.
She'd wanted this for so long, she'd wanted him for so long. Pulling the shirt from his arms she threw it to the end of the couch and let him move them so she was lying on her back, and he was leaning over her, his muscles flexing as he held himself above her. Han peppered kisses along her neck and down past her collarbone and Jules moaned as his hands massaged her breasts. Her hands ran over his biceps and up to his neck to his hair. Han easily undid the zipper on the side of her dress and eased it down and Jules lifted herself up so that he could slip over her hips and down her thighs and throwing it on the ground, leaving her lying there in her underwear and high heels. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her as she reached out for him again, her lips turned up in a sexy smile as she reached behind his neck and pulled him back on top of her.
They were finally going to do this.
If she'd ever thought that her first time with Han would have been on his birthday on the couch in the back of the bar she would have cringed. But it didn't matter. For the time being it was just them.
At some point early in the morning they snuck from the VIP room back into the loft and down the hall to Hans room. Every moment of the night was perfect as Han pulled her back into bed with him and they lay there in the dim light of the bedside lamp, wrapped around each other.
"When I was in high school I got into a fair bit of trouble." Han stated after they lay there in silence for awhile and Jules chuckled slightly as she swept her hand across his chest, below where her head was resting on his shoulder.
"I could have guessed that." Jules said, her breath hitting the bare skin of his chest.
"My friend Ben got addicted to coke." He stated and Jules sat up, looking down at him. "When I saw all that blood that morning, it reminded me of what had happened to him. I'd let someone important hurt themselves again." His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper and Jules swallowed the lump in her throat.
"What happened was my fault Han." Jules said softly and she felt him push himself up and she sat up so that he could.
"But it happened. And I thought coming here would make my past disappear. But it didn't." He reached over and pushed her bangs from her eyes. "And you got hurt. If I'd told you the truth instead of ignoring it things would have been different."
"What are you on about?" Jules asked, pulling the sheets up to her chest and looking over at him leaning against the wall at the head of the bed.
"Nothing." He seemed to freeze up and Jules' brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you working this weekend?"
"Don't do that." Jules shifted closer to him and put her hand on his knee. "I hate it when you lie to me."
"I'm not lying to you."
"Avoiding the truth is the same as lying to me." She stated and saw Hans shoulders lift with a sigh. "Your friend Ben? You were at school together?" When he didn't answer Jules asked another question. "Were you a jock or a geek in high school?"
"What?" Han asked, surprised at the question.
"Well, you were clearly popular, but was it because you were smart or athletic?"
"Do I look like a quarterback to you?" he asked and Jules laughed.
"So were you a mathlete?" Han laughed and Jules couldn't help but have a whole new appreciation. "Did you have glasses?"
"You have glasses Jules." He replied and Jules shrugged. "I'm not that person anymore."
"No you're not, now you're a drift nut who spends his spare time hanging out with models and celebrities in Tokyo. So what happened?" She pushed, sensing that this might be the moment he told her to get lost.
"A bunch of trust fund kids acting out of boredom." Han said and Jules remained silent. "We got into drugs and stealing and in the end someone got hurt." His eyes avoided hers.
"What do you mean hurt?" Jules asked quietly.
"I mean killed, Jules." Nodding Jules couldn't help but notice that all the instincts that should have been telling her to run seemed to have disappeared. "One of the guys in our group killed him and then buried him in someones back yard." Retracting her hand from his leg, Jules pulled the sheets up closer to her chest. "You want to leave now?" he asked, seeing her reaction and Jules shook her head slowly.
"No." She said softly. "You didn't kill him."
"No, I ran."
"Because you were scared. You were a kid and you were scared." Han leant his head back on the wall and she saw his jaw twitch. She moved so that she was straddling his lap and his head dropped back down to look at her. "We all do stupid things when we're kids. That's not who you are anymore." Before he could fight with her she pressed her lips down on his. Thankful for the distraction Han kissed her back, his hands coming around to tug the sheet away from her body and pulled her closer to him.
"When you were bleeding in the bathroom you said something to me." He said into her shoulder as she rested her head on his chest.
"Oh yeah what's that?" She mumbled oblivious to the seriousness in his tone.
"You said that you couldn't have children and that you had no home." He replied softly and Jules stiffened. "I want you to know you have a home." She rocked back a bit to look at him. "Here, with me. No models, no money, no nothing, I promise."
"What're you going to do if I say I don't want you?" She teased.
"That's up to you." He refused to gratify her teasing.
"I can't believe I said that." She said softly suddenly serious and Han reached up to brush hair from her face. "I haven't told anyone."
"About the baby?" Han asked quietly and she shook her head.
"Nah, everyone at home knows about that. My mums terrible at keeping a secret." She sat up straight and brushed a tear that had escaped from her eye. "She'd have a fit if she knew she was never getting any grandkids from me. I still can't believe I told you that…"
"You know you have other options." He said, even though he had never been faced with this issue ever.
"I know, and I'm only young and all that. You know how you never really realise how much you want something until its gone?" She asked and watched him nod. He had, less than a month ago. "That's what this is. I never wanted to have kids until I was told I couldn't. It fucking sucks and I hate that I didn't even have Jordan there to hold my hand. I mean what kind of asshole...you don't really want to talk about this do you?" Hans shoulders lifted in a shrug and Jules couldn't help but smile.
"It's important to you."
"Is this Han Lue? The international man of mystery wanting to have a chick flick moment with me?" She held her hand to her chest and mock swooned and seconds later she found herself on her back with Han pressed down on her.
"Do you have to make a joke of everything Angel?"
"Yes, it's my coping mechanism, so embrace it." She replied, the grin still on her face as Han leant down and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Thank you Han."
"I've never been thanked for it before." He teased and Jules rolled her eyes.
"Who's joking now? No I mean the talking part. Not the sex part." His eyebrows shot up, "That was good to though."
"Good?"
"Like you need to inflate your ego anymore." She teased and squealed when he reached down and began to tickle her.
Jules found herself still lying on Hans chest an hour later, his fingers tracing lazy patterns across her back.
"I should go." She said softly, not moving and Hans fingers stopped moving across her skin.
"Twink needs help with the radiator in the Civic." He replied and Jules sat up to look down at him with a smile on her face.
"Okay, but I need to go home and change."
"I'll take you." He said leaning up to her and kissing her again. "In a minute."
Something about this place
Something about lonely nights
And the lipstick on your face
Something about my cool Tokyo* guy
Something about, baby,
You and I
- Lady Gaga
*meant to be "Nebraska" but I took some authors liberty, if someone tells Lady Gaga and she's upset let me know- I will write a formal apology…until then..
A/N: So I realise things tend to get a bit OOC when they get all deep and meaningful…and sorry I ruined Better Luck Tomorrow for anyone- I haven't seen it yet but the plot was on Wikipedia and who am I not to take advantage of Wikipedia despite it leading me astray previously. Opinions, ideas and praise are always appreciated.
p.s I don't want to confuse anyone but Han is twenty-five in this story- Jules just teases him constantly