OST: Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson

Please listen while reading.

He drowns in his dreams
An exquisite extreme I know
He's as damned as he seems
And more heaven than a heart could hold

And if I try to save him
My whole world could cave in
It just ain't right
It just ain't right

Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's magic and myth
As strong as what I believe
A tragedy with
More damage than a soul should see
And do I try to change him
So hard not to blame him
Hold on tight
Hold on tight

Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful
Or just a beautiful disaster

I'm longing for love and the logical
But he's only happy hysterical
I'm waiting for some kind of miracle
Waited so long
So long

He's soft to the touch
But frayed at the ends he breaks
He's never enough
And still he's more than I can take

Oh 'cause I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
Beautiful (Beautiful disaster)
Beautiful disaster

Beautiful Disaster Lyrics by Kelly Clarkson

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Is it possible to protect someone you love forever? Keeping him away from harm and securing his happiness at all times? How then, could you do that?

She tried to swallow her sobs so her husband wouldn’t wake up. Holding her phone with one hand and wiping her tears with another hand, she walked out of her bedroom and went down to the kitchen.

Her head throbbed, so she tried to calm down by making a cup of tea. Still, though she told herself not to, she scrolled down her son’s instagram post again and reread all the negative comments.  

Ever since her son, Mike, was known by the public to have a son with his ex-girlfriend without marrying her, he was flooded by hatred from people who don’t even know him.

Mike was dating a model named Sarah for a few years, got into a bad fight, broke up, then got informed four months later that she’s pregnant with his child.

That girl made it looked like her son was a bastard who didn’t want to admit his own child, while he was actually there during his birth and promised to support the baby.

They all thought his career would end when Sarah suddenly told the public that her baby was Mike’s, but apparently not.

There were haters, but there were also loyal fans, and new fans who were impressed because Mike had a press conference and admitted bravely that he’s the father of Sarah’s child.

He then starred in two successful dramas and launched two solo singles.

However, Sarah continued to spread bad rumours about him through her friends in the press, so the hatred grew worse and worse. She also kept on demanding more and more money “for the baby”, and it made Mike kept on working until he physically collapsed, receiving acting jobs in China and going back and forth between China and Thailand all the time.

For nearly two years now, her son’s life had been so difficult. And of course, it broke her heart to pieces. She wished she knew how to make him happy again........

*******************************************

Feeling depressed and restless, she went to one of the biggest temple in Bangkok to pray. Kneeling on the cool floor and under the calm gaze of the statue of Buddha, she prayed and prayed for her son’s happiness. She went from full of tears and frustration to finally feeling relieved and calm.

How long she sat there, she didn’t know. She opened her eyes when somebody opened the side doors of the big praying hall. It was not as crowded as usual because it’s a working day afternoon, so previously, only the main doors to the hall were opened. Apparently the side door could be opened too that day. Two people entered, bringing bright sunlight flooding into the dim room, making her having to cover her face with her hand.

The light blinded her for a few seconds, and she couldn’t see who were walking in , but from the shapes of them, they looked like two women.

“It’s you! Ah, it’s been a while!”

She had to blink several times until she could make out who were standing in front of her.

“phan? Aom?”

“How long has it been?” the lady knelt beside her on the floor, touching her shoulders warmly and smiling at her.

“Ye – yes, it’s been very long. I think it’s been – five years since we last met?”

“I think so. Since the children’s high school reunion, right?”

She nodded.

phan’s daughter, Aom smiled at her and knelt beside her mother.

“I’ll pray first, after that, let’s catch up? I’m so happy to see you” Mrs. phan said.

“Sure. I’ll just – sit here and wait” she replied, unsure why she was stuttering.

Because Mrs. phan and her daughter Aom were so lost in their prayers, she tried to continue praying too, but it was somehow harder to focus.

She had always liked phan and her daughter. Aom and Mike went to the same high school, and that was how she knew phan and later became friends. However, life got in the way and they lost contact. Funny how they met again that day.........

Suddenly, she was surprised to hear phan sniffling.

Trying not to stare, she turned to her friend and it was true, phan was indeed crying.

Finally, after her friend finished praying, she asked, “What is it? Why are you crying so sadly? What is the matter?”

phan smiled sadly and reached her hand.

“Ah, life has been harder since we last met. I hope you and your family have been happier than us”

“What is it? What’s wrong???” she asked, alarmed by the feeling in , like her old friend’s sadness were choking her too. Could it just be the incense and candles in the room?

“A couple of years ago, my husband got fired from the company he worked at. They were reducing their employees. He worked there for half of his life, and it broke his heart. Because he’s too sad, he became ill, and now he had severe kidney problems that makes him has to do dialysis twice a week. We sold our old house and bought a smaller one, then I had to stop working as a nurse to take care of him. It’s Aom now who has to – to –“

“Mom......you’re crying again” Aom pointed out, wiping her mother’s tears with her hands, “there’s no need to trouble Auntie with our problem. Let’s just pray more for father’s recovery. Maybe the Good Buddha will answer our prayers this time”

The moment phan patted her daughter’s hand and was able to smile, she was washed away with one sudden wish, “I wish my son could have a wife as good as this girl”.

She was shocked with her inner thought, because her own voice in her head didn’t even sound like herself.

As strange as it sounded, it made her looked up to the Buddha’s statue.

And the wish was repeated inside her heart, “I wish my son could have a wife like this. So polite, so caring and so lovely”.

She had always liked Aom. She and phan used to spend a lot of time together in the past, and she saw Aom grew up for several years, between her time in high school then in college.

She had really liked Aom.........

If only Aom was not married yet.......

Discreetly, she glanced at the girl’s fingers and saw no wedding ring......

“After you finish praying, how about having lunch together? Until I’ve met you, I haven’t realized how much I missed you. Let’s catch up. What do you think?”

phan’s face got brighter, “That would be really nice”.

****************************************

Aom had to run back to her office, so she couldn’t have lunch with them. The two ladies then spent time updating each other about their lives.

Aom had graduated and was working in a small magazine as a junior editor then. Her sister Aung was still in college, studying clothing design.

Sadly, phan told her how Aom had to provide for the household, since the insurance of her husband couldn’t cover much.

Beside working at the magazine, Aom also worked night shift at a cafe.

“I feel so guilty towards her, but we agreed that I better take care of my husband while Aom works double job. Aung is also working part time in a supermarket, and between their pay, we could live. But my husband’s dialysis........”

“If there’s anything I could help –“

phan flinched and her expression changed.

“God, no. I wouldn’t dream – please don’t think that I’m after your money. I’m just happy to see a friend after so long and –“

“I understand, please don’t be angry. I was only trying to help. But if you don’t want to, I won’t force you. I won’t even mention it anymore”

Trying to change the subject, phan asked, “And how are you? How’s your family?”

She had five children, but she spent the next minutes telling phan about Mike and the troubles in his life. Sarah the ex-girlfriend, Maxwell her baby grandson who had no idea how bad his parents’ relationship was, and how much hatred Mike was getting lately.

“I’m sad because he is sad, phan. He doesn’t really want to talk about it, but I know he is always broken and exhausted lately. The life of an idol is not as pretty as it looked. I am so depressed by all the hatred he’s getting that I came to the temple to pray for him”

“It makes us meet again” phan smiled. “I’m so grateful to see you again”

“Me too” she agreed, their hands reaching and patting each other.

********************************************

She couldn’t sleep that night, tossing and turning in bed until her husband woke up and asked whether she was feeling unwell or not.

She denied it and asked him to go back to sleep, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t sleep at all.

When dawn broke, she already had a resolution, and she was going to stick to it.

*******************************************

She still had phan’s cellphone number after all these years, and by breakfast, she asked to visit her house on the pretence of wanting to see her husband.

Mr. Manaying lost a lot of weight and turned gaunt, looking much older than his real age, but his eyes twinkled with merriment when he remembered who she was, and he asked about her and her family. It’s hard to remember how fit and jovial he was in the past, as she looked at the very ill man, but she talked to him gently, smiling and trying to sound as if nothing had changed.

After he drank his medicine and went to sleep, she and phan sat together in the dining room, drinking coffee.

This is it, she told herself. It’s now or never.

“phan......I have a request. And I wish you would say yes”

The good woman looked surprised.

“What is it? I’ll help you with anything if I could”

“I wish our children could get married”

phan stared at her as if she was speaking in a foreign language that she couldn’t understand.

“What? What did you say?”

“Aom your daughter, I wish she could marry my son Mike”

“............why on earth would you want that?”

“Because I know Aom is a good girl. I’ve always liked her. I want my son to have someone who could take care of him. I want him to have someone who could make him happy. And I think marrying a good girl will be able to improve his image in the public. I think Aom will be the right girl for him. I like her. I like her so much I wish she could be my daughter in-law”

phan stared at her blankly then.

“And I – I promise that if you agree for them to marry, you won’t have to ever worry again about your husband’s medical bills. Our family will take care of it”

phan stood up angrily. “I will not sell my daughter to pay for some stupid bills. If you think so lowly of us, you can just go out that door and never come back. I’m really disappointed at –“

“Wait! Wait, I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad. I’m the one who’s wrong. I said it wrongly. But if we become a family, your problem will also be mine. Please think about it, please. All I want is –“

“Get out! Get out now! I don’t think I can stand listening to you anymore. How lowly you must think of us to make you –“

“Your daughter Aom is the best girl any mother would ever get for her son” she begged. “Please –“

“Get the hell out of my house – I don’t want to see your face ever again!!!”

“Please think about it. I beg you, phan, I beg you! I’ll go now, but I will come back tomorrow. I will come back and beg you a thousand times if I need to. Please forgive me and think about it!”

phan couldn’t say anything else, and she left the house.

She realized she was crying only after her driver opened the passenger door for her and she entered her car.

The worst had passed, she was sure of it.

And she was sure she was doing the right thing.

What Mike needed was a good woman to be by his side. And she truly believed God had shown her that the person was Aom.

She would come back again tomorrow to talk to phan. And the next day, and the next, and the next, until phan said yes........

***************************************************

To be continued.

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Author’s Note:

I present to you my very first chaptered fic of Aomike.

I’ve been a fic writer of another ship for so long, it feels foreign to write an AU fic about Aomike like this.

Arranged marriage is a theme that’s probably been used the most in fanfic world, but it’s nice to write it, so I’m trying this plot for Aomike.

I’m not sure whether there’s already another fic with the same theme, but I hope you can enjoy this one too.

If you like this, commenting and sharing your thoughts would really encourage me to write fast.

Until next chapter ^__________^

PS: I’m not sure what’s the name of Mike’s mother. I don’t think her username in Instagram is her real name, right? If anyone can inform me his mother’s name, it would be great.

PPS: spazz Aomike with me on twitter @vanillasoul257