A roleplay between me and LadyAmethys001 from her picture called "Lonesome Maestro AU-roleplay".

In this AU, Balan's theater failed and he is left alone. But it seems he won't be alone for long. :)

Rated T for mild flirting. Characters have a platonic relationship.

Balan Wonderworld belongs to its respective owners.

Lonesome Maestro AU was created by LadyAmethys001.

I only own Rachel and this story is from her POV.

"My Neighbor Totoro" belongs to its respective owners.

A/N: The Rachel in this AU is different than the one in my other Balan Wonderworld stories and 20 years old in this story.

An Act Of Kindness Can Make A Big Impact

It had not been the best day for me.

I was walking down the alleyway with my headphones on, listening to a sad song because I had just been hurt by someone I thought was a friend, but it turned out they were just using me for their social media.

My head was down and my eyes were mostly closed, so I didn't see a box in front of me. I tripped on it and let out a cry as I was about to do a face plant on the hard pavement, but seconds later, I felt someone catch me and I froze, noting that the person's arms were white, but their clothing looked like it has seen better days.

"Oh dear, please be careful, miss. I don't want you to hurt yourself," a deep, yet pleasant voice said to me.

I swallowed hard in uncertainty and turned my head while regaining my balance thanks to the stranger. I removed my headphones out of politeness and blinked as I took in his appearance.

I then saw the old theater behind him and recalled the story about the man that had a theater, but it had shut down and some people had meanly said that the man was dangerous. Yet, I paused as I recalled he just saved me from getting injured. Surely someone dangerous wouldn't have done that. I took a deep breath before mentally scolding myself that I was being rude by not thanking him for saving me.

"Thank you for saving me, sir," I said politely as I held my hand out for a handshake. "My name is Rachel. May I ask your name?"

I asked this because I didn't want to be rude in assuming that this person was Balan, the very man people have said is crazy, though I had a feeling that this is indeed him.

He gently smiled and shook my hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Rachel. I am Balan. You probably know me from the rumors... And... If you think the same way about me, I don't blame you," he said, sounding discouraged at saying that.

I bit my lip thoughtfully before standing up a bit straighter. "I've learned that rumors rarely have any truth to them. Besides...if you were truly what people have said, you wouldn't have helped me," I said as I noticed the small creatures at his feet and they came up to me, looking curious as I become curious about them. "I've never seen creatures like these before. What are they?" I asked curiously.

"I'm...not sure, really. They just showed up one day after my theater closed. I don't know what they are, so I've decided to call them Tims. I thought it was cute," Balan admitted.

"They are," I replied as I noticed one floating up in front of us and I gently caught it, surprised at how soft its fur was. I smiled as it nuzzled my hand, making me chuckle. "That's another thing, if you weren't a good person, these little guys wouldn't be around you."

My stomach then growled and I heard a similar growl, looking at Balan in question, though there was no doubt in my mind the poor guy was hungry, most likely moreso than me.

Balan looked a bit embarrassed. "S-Sorry. I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten anything yet today. And you sound hungry yourself," he said.

"Yeah," I admitted, feeling a bit sheepish. "Guess I was so upset earlier that I didn't realize I was getting hungry."

I checked the time and feel like ordering pizza. I looked up at Balan again and smiled. "Hey, why don't you come home with me? I'm sure I've got some of my dad's clothes that will fit you and you can have a shower. The water will be nice and hot. While you're freshening up, I'll order us some dinner. Is pizza okay?" I offered.

Balan looked quite nervous at the thought of leaving the theater. "B-But I-I don't want to leave my home. I worked hard to get this theater! I don't want to lose it now!" He said, backing away in what looked like fear. "Besides…I bet your family would hate having me around."

I blinked in surprise before smiling gently. "Balan, it's okay," I soothed as I moved forward and gently took his hand. "I didn't mean you'd be leaving this place for good. You can come back to it later. In fact, since college is out for the summer, I can help you get this place back up and running."

I then glanced away with a sigh. "And, in regards to my family, my dad passed away a few years ago. My mom left when I was three years old, so it's just me," I explained as I hugged him right then and there. "And believe me, I'd love to have you join me for dinner. I can't in good conscience leave you here while I go eat."

Hearing my sad tale made Balan realize he and I were the same in a way, even though he wouldn't wish it on anyone. He hugged me in a tight grip.

"Okay… I guess I do need to be cleaned. And I'm starving too… Can I at least bring my Tims with me?" He asked hopefully.

I smiled. "Of course. I believe I have some bread and fruit, if that's okay for them," I said.

"I think they would like that," Balan said with a smile before his stomach growled louder.

I smiled and held out my hand invitingly. "Come on. I'll lead the way."

He smiled at me and took my hand, holding it a bit tighter than anyone I had know, but I smiled again and led him and the Tims out of the alleyway, not minding that Balan was holding my hand tightly. There was no doubt in my mind he had been touch-starved for so long he was afraid I'd vanish on him. "Come on, my home's not far from here," I said as we continued walking for a bit.

I lead them to a modest home and opened the door. "Here we are. Welcome to my humble home," I said as I gently pulled Balan inside, the Tims following us.

Balan looked around in curiosity. The place was warm and clean compared to his theater. Then he looked at his dirty and unkempt self, feeling a bit out of place.

"Your home...It's so...nice," he said politely.

"Thank you. I do my best," I replied, smiling at him. "Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is and get you some clean clothes."

I glanced at his current attire and grew thoughtful. "I'm not the best seamstress, but I can try to mend your clothes too after they're washed, if you'd like," I continued, saying these words as gently as possible so that it didn't feel like I'm pressuring him. I didn't want to scare him off.

"Y-You...Can fix this? Really? If you could, it would be great. I guess it's kind of obvious that this is my favorite suit. I had a friend design it for me," Balan said.

I smiled again, seeing how much the suit meant to him. "I'll do my best," I promised as I lead him to the bathroom and opened the door. "Take as much time as you need. I'll go find those clothes and order dinner. You can leave the dirty clothes outside the door and I'll take them to the washing machine."

He nodded and went to the bathroom to take a shower. It felt SO good to finally have warm water, as the plumbing in the theater only made the water cold. He scrubbed himself down, washing his hair until he could slip his fingers through it with ease. Then he washed his face and tried to brush the tangles out of his hair. Finally, he took the new clothes that I had set outside the bathroom for him and put them on. He came out of the bathroom, looking and feeling better already. He heard noises in the kitchen was soon standing in the doorway.

I smiled as I heard him and turned to see him, smiling at how handsome he looked. "Wow, you clean up nice," I said, winking at him playfully.

Balan blushed a little. "You think so?" He asked, the compliment not being a common one for him to receive.

I chuckled and nodded. "You're very handsome."

I then turned back to the fruit and seeds I had prepared for the Tims and set it on the table. "Okay, here you guys go," I said before looking back at Balan. "Our food will be here soon and your suit is in the wash. I even found my sewing box while I was at it."

A hopeful smile crossed his face. "Thank you for this. Nobody has ever treated me with so much concern or kindness before," he said, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. My heart went out to him and I pulled him into a hug.

"We all need kindness in our lives. One thing my uncle taught me is that a little bit of kindness can go a long way and an act of kindness is not forgotten."

I smiled again and gently wiped away his tears before giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad I'm able to help you, Balan," I said honestly.

Balan's stomach growled loudly and he gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Hehe. I forgot I was still hungry," he admitted.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and I smiled. "Ah, just in time."

I got the food and tipped the delivery person before going back to the kitchen. "Have a seat, Balan, and we'll dig in," I said.

"Yes. I'm hungry," he said.

The Tims happily nommed on the bread and seeds, chirping happily as I got plates and served the food before sitting beside Balan, to which we both began eating. Sometime later, we were both sitting on my couch, enjoying some soda and relaxing as one of the Tims brought something up to me on its head. I chuckled at seeing it was actually a favorite movie of mine, My Neighbor Totoro. "Ah, I see you guys found one of my favorite movies," I said.

"My Neighbor Totoro? I've heard of it, but I've never watched it," Balan admitted, his voice curious.

"It's a good film. My uncle introduced me to it when we were going through a hard time with my aunt, his wife, being really sick. This movie gave me hope and she thankfully recovered."

I smiled at him. "Do you want to watch it? I can make some popcorn for us," I offered.

"I'd love to. And some popcorn sounds delicious," he said.

The Tims began to bounce around, acting as if they like popcorn too. It was so cute that I began laughing at the Tims' antics, unable to stop laughing for a moment, not seeing Balan watching me and he seemed amazed to hear me laughing so joyously. I managed to get control of my giggles after a moment. "Oh, my. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that," I admitted.

"You actually have an adorable laugh. I enjoy seeing positivity in people. That's why I tried to open that theater. To see the look on positivity on everyone's face," Balan replied.

I blushed a little at him saying my laugh was adorable and I smiled at him. "I agree. Maybe we can bring back the theater again so that you can do that? I know I would love to see a show that would make me smile and I do have a soft spot for theater plays," I said.

"I just hope we'll be able to make it. I know it sounds silly, but that theater means a lot to me. I worked so hard and it got me nowhere...It's not just a theater...It's my home."

He sounded kind of down saying that and I reached over to touch his shoulder, to which he held my hand.

"Balan, it's not silly. I completely understand. And it did get you somewhere. It got you to meet me," I said as I smiled. "And I'm going to help you get your theater back up and running. My uncle taught me a lot about home repair and I'm sure if I ask him and my other uncles for some help, they'll be willing to help out too. My youngest uncle, believe it or not, is just a few years older than me and he loves theater."

"Really? I would love for them to help...But...What about the rumors about me. Try as I might, I can't stop people from believing what they want to believe," Balan said, sounding a bit afraid.

I smiled gently. "You want to know a secret?" I asked him and he nodded. "I'm no stranger to rumors, Balan. In fact, for the longest time, my uncles and I were subject to some not-so-nice rumors too, especially after I began living with them."

I looked a bit sad at this, recalling that day. Balan felt bad for me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"You and I have been through the ringer. But I hope that we can change our fates for the better. Someone like you doesn't deserve to go through what I've gone through," he said comfortingly.

I hugged him back and smiled at him gratefully. "The reason for the rumors was three of my uncles all lived together in a giant mansion and I went to live with them after things with some other relatives didn't work out. People thought my uncles were not right in the heads for not being married and for raising me, but they raised me with love. One of them is a father figure to me and the other two taught me everything I know. I didn't even have an aunt until about seven years after coming to live with my uncles. But even then, I've had to put some people in their place for saying untrue things about my uncles," I explained before I gently cupped his face with my hands. "So believe me when I say that my uncles pay no mind to rumors, because we know from experience that rumors are almost always untrue. And if anyone tries to spread rumors about you now or say something bad about you, then they better watch out, because I'm a Taurus and I'm very protective of not only my family, but also my friends."

Balan leaned in to the touch, but before he could utter a word, he let out a big yawn, to which I smiled gently before noticing the time. "How about we save the movie for tomorrow?" I suggested as I got up. "Come on, you can crash with me. My bed's big enough for us and the Tims."

"Are you sure? I can just sleep on the couch," Balan said.

I quickly measured him and the size of the couch in my head and shook my head, plainly seeing he would be too tall to fit on the couch. Not only that, I was not going to be cruel like that.

"Balan, I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch while I sleep in a warm bed," I said as I took his hand and gently pulled him to his feet. "Come on, I don't mind you crashing with me."

Balan blushed, but he followed me, making me smile at his bashfulness as I found it adorable. The Tims followed us and we soon entered my room, to which I found a pair of clean pajamas for Balan.

"Here, you can change into these while I take a shower. Feel free to watch some T.V. or read a book. I won't be long," I said.

"Well….Th-Thank you. I don't now how I'm going to repay you for all the kindness you showed me," he admitted as one of the Tims snuggles against your feet as a way of saying thank you.

I smiled and picked up the Tim at my feet, giving it a hug and petting it before looking at Balan. "You don't owe me anything, Balan. There's no debt between good friends, I said as I gently set the Tim down and grabbed my pajamas before heading to the bathroom. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

Balan got changed into the pajamas, surprised that he was able to fit them for being so tall. But he curled up in the bed, noticing how soft and warm it was. And the covers were clean and smelled nice. He huddled himself into a little blanket burrito and in no time he had fallen asleep.

I returned from my shower and I smiled at seeing Balan was sound asleep. The Tims looked at me with cheerful expressions and I chuckled quietly before turning on a nightlight I had and turning off the bedroom lights, going over to the bed and crawling under the covers, feeling the Tims gather around both me and Balan.

"Goodnight, little ones. Goodnight, Balan," I said this softly before settling down, looking forward to the next day where I'd call my uncles and ask them to help out with the theater.

As I was about to fall asleep, I felt Balan snuggle closer to me and place an arm around me in a protective hold. I smiled at this before closing my eyes fully and falling sound asleep myself.

The lonely maestro finally had a friend to call his own, one that was willing to stick with him and give his dreams a second chance.

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