/facepalm
Good Lord, another piece worthy of the /facepalm.
Title: Not With a Bang, but With a Whimper
Author: brinshannara
Rating: PG-13?
Fandom: GL (CC/JL) (RPS)
Summary: Set during the filming of the sonogram scene on Guiding Light.
Author's Note: Again, this is entirely ripptyd's fault. No disrespect meant to two amazing actors. This is a work of fiction and no conclusions should be drawn about the actors within.
You're heading over to the hospital set. Today, you're filming the big reunion scene, where your character stops being an idiot with regards to the woman she loves. Finally. It's not that it didn't make sense for the character, you admit, but the timing was awful because of the decision by the network to cancel the show. As such, everything was abbreviated and shortened and you won't get that love scene you were told you'd get. You doubt you're going to get any kisses, either. You sigh and think of happier things, like your webseries, as you walk down the hall to the set.
As you approach, you see her, wearing that silly pregnancy pad, talking to the other actor in the scene. You take a moment to just gaze at her. You haven't seen her since you filmed the bedroom scenes for your webseries the other day. You've been avoiding her, mostly because you don't want to be tempted. And God, she certainly is temptation incarnate, isn't she? That smile just wrecks you and destroys all your resolve.
You take a breath and head over to the set, greeting your fellow actors and exchanging small talk until the director calls the set to order. You wave and head offstage and wait for your cue.
They nail the first take so you're back in there quickly. He's got this discomfort thing down pat, you think, as you watch him awkwardly excuse himself so that your two characters can be alone.
She's smiling hugely. "You're here!" she says, her voice so full of joy that you have no choice but to believe that she's genuinely happy.
You step closer. "I had to be. Couldn't waste any more time." You reach out and cup her face in your hands and lean your head in for the scripted forehead touch.
This time, though, unlike the dozens of other moments where your foreheads have met in this extremely chaste dance between your characters, she pushes forward and you feel her lips against yours and she's kissing you so very softly. You're stunned to the point where you can't even respond to her tender kiss before the director yells "Cut!".
All too quickly, she pulls away, the softness and warmth of her lips only a memory on yours. She gives you a quick smile and turns to the director.
"Ladies, really now, we've talked about this."
You finally manage to tear your eyes from her and face him, resisting the urge to touch your lips as if to reassure yourself that what just happened was, in fact, real. That you did, in fact, get to press your lips to hers again. You take a breath and pay attention to the conversation between your leading lady and the director.
"Yeah, you know, I'm sorry, I really am," she smiles, "but not kissing here just isn't working for me," she says, simply.
You almost laugh. Given what's been going on between the two of you lately, ever since you kissed last week for the webseries, that's hilarious. That she's said that to the director, in front of the crew, when you know that phrase is really meant just for you, is just plain funny. Despite the awkwardness and wrongness of it all, you have to admit that you love that she has a great sense of humour.
And then she's looking at you, dark eyes finding yours. "How about you? Do you think that not kissing here even makes sense?"
'The woman has a point,' you concede. You sigh and shake your head. "Frankly," you say to your director, "it's bullshit. What loving partner wouldn't kiss her at this point?" you ask. "It's the happy reunion moment, for Pete's sake. If either of us were a HE, you know we'd be having sex right here in the hospital, sonogram appointment be damned."
"Take it up with network," the director mutters. "Let's take it from 'You're here!', please."
You sigh and back up a few steps and she just *looks* at you and you have a sinking feeling that this scene is not going to be an easy one to get through. 'Well,' you reason, 'what are they going to do? Fire us?'
"And action!"
"You're here!" she says again, her voice still joyful.
You pull yourself into your character and step closer, again. "I had to be. Couldn't waste any more time." Once more, you reach out and cup her face in your hands. And then you pull yourself out of the moment, just slightly, fighting both your own instincts and those of your character, so you don't do what should be completely natural and normal. But it's not you that you need to worry about, apparently, because there she goes again. Kissing you. Again. And, just like last time, before you can let go of your own self-imposed restraints, the director yells again.
"Cut!"
She pulls away, and you swear you see the twitch of a grin and a twinkle in her eye before she turns back towards the director. You close your eyes in frustration. You get the sense that you're being toyed with and you're not sure if you're angry with her or just frustrated with the scene or if you just want to drag her to your dressing room and... You shake your head a bit to clear it and realize the director is talking.
"Dammit, we just talked about this! Let's take five, everyone," the director says. "Except for you two," he says, addressing you both. "You two stay right there, because we need to work this out."
You sit for three and a half minutes, listening to the director talk about network and standards and advertisers and all the other assorted bullshit that network shows deal with and you're very thankful you won't have to deal with that crap compromising your own artistic integrity on your own show.
"Look," she says, dimples coming out to play, interrupting him the third time he says that it's not called for in the script, "it's a creative decision on our part to kiss. It's like," she pauses, searching for a comparison. "It's like an adlib! She," she says, pointing at you, "adlibs all the time and you guys love it." He looks at you, as if you're to blame for the fact thatt she's hauled out the dimples to charm him.
You shrug. "Seriously, can't we just... I don't know, fade out to appease the network?" you ask.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "You ladies are not making life easy for me. Do I have to get the EP?"
"What, do you really think she's not going to side with us on this?" you laugh. "She's supported this storyline from day one."
"Wait, I have an idea," she interrupts. "Let's do two more takes. One with a kiss and one as written. You and editing and the execs can decide which to use, and we'll feel like we've given it our best."
"There, you see? Compromise," you say, even as you digest the words. Her suggestion means that, if the director is willing, you're going to kiss again and your stomach starts fluttering. It also means you know it'll happen and you won't be interrupted and that you can actually kiss her back. You know you shouldn't be looking forward to that possibility as much as you are, but you can't really help it. 'Dimples,' you mutter silently to yourself, 'it's gotta be the dimples.'
"Fine, fine," he says and steps away. "Let's take it from 'You're here!', as written, please! Take three. Places!"
You step back, yet again, repressing a smile. Moving closer, pulling back... it's just like the dance you're caught up in with her.
"And action!"
"You're here!" she exclaims and you smile as you step closer, sinking into your character again.
"I had to be. Couldn't waste any more time." You take her face in your hands and, at the last instant, force yourself not to lean forward and capture your lips with hers, but just stay in this ridiculous pose that you're aware the fans call "forehead sex". But your eyes and hers lock and you know that there's something *there*. And you're not sure what you're feeling more, intrigue and interest or fear and anticipation.
"And cut!" comes the call. "See, now, why couldn't we get that shot ten minutes ago?"
She smiles at you as you drop your hands from her face and back up a few steps, yet again.
"All right, folks, once more, take four. This is the 'adlib version'," he says with a grin. "Action!"
"You're here!" she says and she's beaming, moreso than the other takes. At least, you think so.
You take a couple of steps towards her, heart hammering in your chest. "I had to be," you murmur. "Couldn't waste any more time." You're mesmerized by her beauty as you slowly lift your hands to her face. You lightly stroke her cheeks with your thumbs. She's gazing up at you and you're lost in the moment. You softly drag your right thumb across her lips, feeling their softness, the heat of her exhaled breath against your skin. All you care about, all you know, is that you, whether that's you or the character you're ostensibly portraying at the moment, *need* to be kissing her. Now.
You lean forward and then your lips are against hers and her mouth is just. so. warm. Your lips move as you change your angle slightly and then she opens her mouth and her tongue very nearly burns yours as it grazes it with a light touch. It's definitely you and her, not your characters. Her character wouldn't ever kiss you like this. This is all *her* need and *her* desire and you're helpless to do anything but go along with her on this. It's when she scrapes your tongue with her teeth that you give a slight moan and you're about to pay her back for that with--
"Cut!"
You almost growl in frustration as she pulls away from you; the only indication she knows she's gotten to you is a slight arch of her eyebrow and a small smile. Meanwhile, you're out of breath, your heart is slamming against your ribcage and you would do anything to just throw yourself at her, audiences and moral dilemmas be damned.
The director sighs. "Tongue? And was that a *moan*? Are you two trying to give me an ulcer?"
She shrugs. "That's what happens when you go what, nine months without a kiss?" she dimples at him again to disarm him.
It works and he laughs. "All right ladies, we're done here. No promises on what makes it to air," he says. "It'll be for the suits upstairs to decide."
"Thank you!" she calls as she gets up off the exam table. She starts to head off the set but you catch up to her and tap her on the shoulder, having taken a second to try to get a hold of yourself and your reactions.
"Can we talk for a few minutes?" you ask her, your voice a full register lower than it usually is.
"About what?" she grins at you. She knows what she's done to you. And she's loving it. "As I recall," she continues, folding her arms across her chest, "you didn't think we should talk about certain things the other day."
Busted. And that confirms it, today's taping was definitely retribution for your unwillingness to discuss things. You sigh. "That was before you kissed me. Twice. While filming!"
"Three times."
"What?"
"We kissed three times today." She's still grinning. "Actually, no, I take that back, you're right. I kissed you twice and you kissed me once. But we still kissed three times in total." She presses the tips of her index and middle finger against her mouth, an action that mirrors your character's reaction to a near-kiss, back in March. You wonder if she realizes what she's doing.
She lets her hand drop and smiles at you.
She definitely knew what she was doing, you realize. You sigh and rub your face with your hands. "You're enjoying this," you accuse.
"Who, moi?" she asks, the picture of innocence.
"My dressing room. Now," you command with a growl.
"My, my, aren't we being forward?" she laughs.
"My, my," you repeat her tone, "aren't we being presumptuous?"
She makes a face at you, but that seems to settle her down and a couple of minutes later, you're both safely ensconced in your dressing room.
"Okay," you say, as you sit down on the couch. "What the hell was that?"
"What was what?" she smiles.
You close your eyes. "Why did you kiss me?" you ask, wearily. You don't have the energy to keep fighting her or to waste time on jokes.
"Because our characters should have kissed months ago."
You shake your head and look up at her. God, she's beautiful. "Our characters didn't kiss today and you know it. That was you and that was me. And I need to know why."
"You know why," she answers, gently, being serious for the first time all day. She comes over to the couch and sits down next to you and takes your hands in hers. "Because there's something here. Between us. It's something that goes beyond the work. It's you and it's me, it's not our characters on the show or on the series. It's us." Her hands are so soft and warm on yours and her thumbs are absently tracing circles against the backs of your hands. "Us," she repeats, softly.
"But," you say quietly, "there's..." You don't even know what to say. "There are other people in our lives," you finally manage to get out, "people who depend on us, who love us, who we love." You can't bring yourself to mention any names at all.
"When's the last time you felt this spark, though?" she asks. When she sees the startled look in your eyes as her point rings true, she presses on. "When's the last time you thought about a pair of lips, pressing against yours, and felt like you might explode if you couldn't have that?"
You take a deep breath, trying to process this.
"That's why I kissed you today," she confesses. "Because I thought I was going to explode if I couldn't. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you and your lips since last week."
You start to protest, but then she slips her hands behind your neck, one hand sliding up the back of your neck, through your hair, and pulls you close and begins to kiss you. You try to pull away, but it's only a half-hearted attempt and her mouth is so warm and wet and soft. She nibbles at your lower lip and sucks on it gently. With a whimper, you surrender to your desire. And to her.
Title: Not With a Bang, but With a Whimper
Author: brinshannara
Rating: PG-13?
Fandom: GL (CC/JL) (RPS)
Summary: Set during the filming of the sonogram scene on Guiding Light.
Author's Note: Again, this is entirely ripptyd's fault. No disrespect meant to two amazing actors. This is a work of fiction and no conclusions should be drawn about the actors within.
You're heading over to the hospital set. Today, you're filming the big reunion scene, where your character stops being an idiot with regards to the woman she loves. Finally. It's not that it didn't make sense for the character, you admit, but the timing was awful because of the decision by the network to cancel the show. As such, everything was abbreviated and shortened and you won't get that love scene you were told you'd get. You doubt you're going to get any kisses, either. You sigh and think of happier things, like your webseries, as you walk down the hall to the set.
As you approach, you see her, wearing that silly pregnancy pad, talking to the other actor in the scene. You take a moment to just gaze at her. You haven't seen her since you filmed the bedroom scenes for your webseries the other day. You've been avoiding her, mostly because you don't want to be tempted. And God, she certainly is temptation incarnate, isn't she? That smile just wrecks you and destroys all your resolve.
You take a breath and head over to the set, greeting your fellow actors and exchanging small talk until the director calls the set to order. You wave and head offstage and wait for your cue.
They nail the first take so you're back in there quickly. He's got this discomfort thing down pat, you think, as you watch him awkwardly excuse himself so that your two characters can be alone.
She's smiling hugely. "You're here!" she says, her voice so full of joy that you have no choice but to believe that she's genuinely happy.
You step closer. "I had to be. Couldn't waste any more time." You reach out and cup her face in your hands and lean your head in for the scripted forehead touch.
This time, though, unlike the dozens of other moments where your foreheads have met in this extremely chaste dance between your characters, she pushes forward and you feel her lips against yours and she's kissing you so very softly. You're stunned to the point where you can't even respond to her tender kiss before the director yells "Cut!".
All too quickly, she pulls away, the softness and warmth of her lips only a memory on yours. She gives you a quick smile and turns to the director.
"Ladies, really now, we've talked about this."
You finally manage to tear your eyes from her and face him, resisting the urge to touch your lips as if to reassure yourself that what just happened was, in fact, real. That you did, in fact, get to press your lips to hers again. You take a breath and pay attention to the conversation between your leading lady and the director.
"Yeah, you know, I'm sorry, I really am," she smiles, "but not kissing here just isn't working for me," she says, simply.
You almost laugh. Given what's been going on between the two of you lately, ever since you kissed last week for the webseries, that's hilarious. That she's said that to the director, in front of the crew, when you know that phrase is really meant just for you, is just plain funny. Despite the awkwardness and wrongness of it all, you have to admit that you love that she has a great sense of humour.
And then she's looking at you, dark eyes finding yours. "How about you? Do you think that not kissing here even makes sense?"
'The woman has a point,' you concede. You sigh and shake your head. "Frankly," you say to your director, "it's bullshit. What loving partner wouldn't kiss her at this point?" you ask. "It's the happy reunion moment, for Pete's sake. If either of us were a HE, you know we'd be having sex right here in the hospital, sonogram appointment be damned."
"Take it up with network," the director mutters. "Let's take it from 'You're here!', please."
You sigh and back up a few steps and she just *looks* at you and you have a sinking feeling that this scene is not going to be an easy one to get through. 'Well,' you reason, 'what are they going to do? Fire us?'
"And action!"
"You're here!" she says again, her voice still joyful.
You pull yourself into your character and step closer, again. "I had to be. Couldn't waste any more time." Once more, you reach out and cup her face in your hands. And then you pull yourself out of the moment, just slightly, fighting both your own instincts and those of your character, so you don't do what should be completely natural and normal. But it's not you that you need to worry about, apparently, because there she goes again. Kissing you. Again. And, just like last time, before you can let go of your own self-imposed restraints, the director yells again.
"Cut!"
She pulls away, and you swear you see the twitch of a grin and a twinkle in her eye before she turns back towards the director. You close your eyes in frustration. You get the sense that you're being toyed with and you're not sure if you're angry with her or just frustrated with the scene or if you just want to drag her to your dressing room and... You shake your head a bit to clear it and realize the director is talking.
"Dammit, we just talked about this! Let's take five, everyone," the director says. "Except for you two," he says, addressing you both. "You two stay right there, because we need to work this out."
You sit for three and a half minutes, listening to the director talk about network and standards and advertisers and all the other assorted bullshit that network shows deal with and you're very thankful you won't have to deal with that crap compromising your own artistic integrity on your own show.
"Look," she says, dimples coming out to play, interrupting him the third time he says that it's not called for in the script, "it's a creative decision on our part to kiss. It's like," she pauses, searching for a comparison. "It's like an adlib! She," she says, pointing at you, "adlibs all the time and you guys love it." He looks at you, as if you're to blame for the fact thatt she's hauled out the dimples to charm him.
You shrug. "Seriously, can't we just... I don't know, fade out to appease the network?" you ask.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "You ladies are not making life easy for me. Do I have to get the EP?"
"What, do you really think she's not going to side with us on this?" you laugh. "She's supported this storyline from day one."
"Wait, I have an idea," she interrupts. "Let's do two more takes. One with a kiss and one as written. You and editing and the execs can decide which to use, and we'll feel like we've given it our best."
"There, you see? Compromise," you say, even as you digest the words. Her suggestion means that, if the director is willing, you're going to kiss again and your stomach starts fluttering. It also means you know it'll happen and you won't be interrupted and that you can actually kiss her back. You know you shouldn't be looking forward to that possibility as much as you are, but you can't really help it. 'Dimples,' you mutter silently to yourself, 'it's gotta be the dimples.'
"Fine, fine," he says and steps away. "Let's take it from 'You're here!', as written, please! Take three. Places!"
You step back, yet again, repressing a smile. Moving closer, pulling back... it's just like the dance you're caught up in with her.
"And action!"
"You're here!" she exclaims and you smile as you step closer, sinking into your character again.
"I had to be. Couldn't waste any more time." You take her face in your hands and, at the last instant, force yourself not to lean forward and capture your lips with hers, but just stay in this ridiculous pose that you're aware the fans call "forehead sex". But your eyes and hers lock and you know that there's something *there*. And you're not sure what you're feeling more, intrigue and interest or fear and anticipation.
"And cut!" comes the call. "See, now, why couldn't we get that shot ten minutes ago?"
She smiles at you as you drop your hands from her face and back up a few steps, yet again.
"All right, folks, once more, take four. This is the 'adlib version'," he says with a grin. "Action!"
"You're here!" she says and she's beaming, moreso than the other takes. At least, you think so.
You take a couple of steps towards her, heart hammering in your chest. "I had to be," you murmur. "Couldn't waste any more time." You're mesmerized by her beauty as you slowly lift your hands to her face. You lightly stroke her cheeks with your thumbs. She's gazing up at you and you're lost in the moment. You softly drag your right thumb across her lips, feeling their softness, the heat of her exhaled breath against your skin. All you care about, all you know, is that you, whether that's you or the character you're ostensibly portraying at the moment, *need* to be kissing her. Now.
You lean forward and then your lips are against hers and her mouth is just. so. warm. Your lips move as you change your angle slightly and then she opens her mouth and her tongue very nearly burns yours as it grazes it with a light touch. It's definitely you and her, not your characters. Her character wouldn't ever kiss you like this. This is all *her* need and *her* desire and you're helpless to do anything but go along with her on this. It's when she scrapes your tongue with her teeth that you give a slight moan and you're about to pay her back for that with--
"Cut!"
You almost growl in frustration as she pulls away from you; the only indication she knows she's gotten to you is a slight arch of her eyebrow and a small smile. Meanwhile, you're out of breath, your heart is slamming against your ribcage and you would do anything to just throw yourself at her, audiences and moral dilemmas be damned.
The director sighs. "Tongue? And was that a *moan*? Are you two trying to give me an ulcer?"
She shrugs. "That's what happens when you go what, nine months without a kiss?" she dimples at him again to disarm him.
It works and he laughs. "All right ladies, we're done here. No promises on what makes it to air," he says. "It'll be for the suits upstairs to decide."
"Thank you!" she calls as she gets up off the exam table. She starts to head off the set but you catch up to her and tap her on the shoulder, having taken a second to try to get a hold of yourself and your reactions.
"Can we talk for a few minutes?" you ask her, your voice a full register lower than it usually is.
"About what?" she grins at you. She knows what she's done to you. And she's loving it. "As I recall," she continues, folding her arms across her chest, "you didn't think we should talk about certain things the other day."
Busted. And that confirms it, today's taping was definitely retribution for your unwillingness to discuss things. You sigh. "That was before you kissed me. Twice. While filming!"
"Three times."
"What?"
"We kissed three times today." She's still grinning. "Actually, no, I take that back, you're right. I kissed you twice and you kissed me once. But we still kissed three times in total." She presses the tips of her index and middle finger against her mouth, an action that mirrors your character's reaction to a near-kiss, back in March. You wonder if she realizes what she's doing.
She lets her hand drop and smiles at you.
She definitely knew what she was doing, you realize. You sigh and rub your face with your hands. "You're enjoying this," you accuse.
"Who, moi?" she asks, the picture of innocence.
"My dressing room. Now," you command with a growl.
"My, my, aren't we being forward?" she laughs.
"My, my," you repeat her tone, "aren't we being presumptuous?"
She makes a face at you, but that seems to settle her down and a couple of minutes later, you're both safely ensconced in your dressing room.
"Okay," you say, as you sit down on the couch. "What the hell was that?"
"What was what?" she smiles.
You close your eyes. "Why did you kiss me?" you ask, wearily. You don't have the energy to keep fighting her or to waste time on jokes.
"Because our characters should have kissed months ago."
You shake your head and look up at her. God, she's beautiful. "Our characters didn't kiss today and you know it. That was you and that was me. And I need to know why."
"You know why," she answers, gently, being serious for the first time all day. She comes over to the couch and sits down next to you and takes your hands in hers. "Because there's something here. Between us. It's something that goes beyond the work. It's you and it's me, it's not our characters on the show or on the series. It's us." Her hands are so soft and warm on yours and her thumbs are absently tracing circles against the backs of your hands. "Us," she repeats, softly.
"But," you say quietly, "there's..." You don't even know what to say. "There are other people in our lives," you finally manage to get out, "people who depend on us, who love us, who we love." You can't bring yourself to mention any names at all.
"When's the last time you felt this spark, though?" she asks. When she sees the startled look in your eyes as her point rings true, she presses on. "When's the last time you thought about a pair of lips, pressing against yours, and felt like you might explode if you couldn't have that?"
You take a deep breath, trying to process this.
"That's why I kissed you today," she confesses. "Because I thought I was going to explode if I couldn't. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you and your lips since last week."
You start to protest, but then she slips her hands behind your neck, one hand sliding up the back of your neck, through your hair, and pulls you close and begins to kiss you. You try to pull away, but it's only a half-hearted attempt and her mouth is so warm and wet and soft. She nibbles at your lower lip and sucks on it gently. With a whimper, you surrender to your desire. And to her.