Gossip Girl RPF Blake/Leighton
Title: Puppets
Challenge: bleighton_squeeSpring Ficathon (pinch-hit edition)
Recipient: jengrrrl
Word Count: 2913
Pairing: Blake Lively/Leighton Meester
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people or the words to some stuff.
Author's Notes: OMG I have no idea if I even followed the prompt that was given to me. I tried really hard to put everything in that was asked of me - or my understanding of it anyway (I comprehend things differently sometimes). So I'm sorry that it doesn't fit your expectations or anything. I did my best and I fell into this idea and just ran with it. Haha if you want, I can make a re-do when I get back or something. It has the potential to be longer, but I just ran out of time. So I'll do my best to get back to it. But I hope you enjoy it anyway.
Elements you would like to have in your gift:I would like getting together on set kind of fic, the kind where there's flirting and maybe a little non-angsty pining and banter and such. *nods*
;;
Blake’s fist is hanging in the air as it attempts to knock on the trailer door. Her fist doesn’t move, though, as much as she tries to will her arm forward.
You can do this. You’re a stud.
You can do this. You’re a stud.
You can do this. You’re a stud…
“That door’s not gonna knock on itself, Blake,” Penn says with a smirk.
She doesn’t face him, just drops her arm down beside her. She takes a deep breath before turning around. She glares at him before stepping down and away from her own trailer door.
“C’mon,” he says, waving her over, gesturing for her to follow. “We’ll figure out what to do with you. Standing in front of your own trailer with your arm up makes you look like a pathetic idiot.”
“Let me know how you really feel, Penn,” she spits out as she stops in her tracks. He rolls his eyes at her, shaking his head because this is kind of ridiculous. He never did do babysitting well.
“She’s not even there, Blake. She’s at the makeup trailer with Taylor. C’mon, let’s go.”
He walks away whether Blake follows or not. She does, of course, but only after he’s walked a great distance away. He knows this because he heard her start in a huff, galloping behind him.
;;
Penn and Blake enter his trailer to find Ed and Chace already waiting for them.
“She was standing outside the trailer, wasn’t she?” Ed asks the two as they entered the trailer.
“Yeah,” Penn says with a laugh as he made his way to sit across from the two other men.
“Okay,” Ed starts, looks at the blond guy beside him. “Pay up. You owe me fifty.”
“You guys betted on me?!” she asked indignantly.
“Against you,” Ed corrects as Chace begrudgingly pulls the bill out of his wallet.
“I was rooting for you, Blake. But you’re also an idiot when it comes to women so thanks to you, I’m $50 poorer.”
Blake can only roll her eyes. “Well, sorry. I didn’t realize my love life was costing you.”
“Just next time,” Chace says as he gets up off his seat from the couch and claps Blake on the shoulder, “when you want to make a move, make a move. I can only sell so many of my headshots to pay off my gambling addiction.”
The others in the trailer howled in laughter before Blake finally gives in and laughs with them. She eventually takes a seat between Ed and Penn on the sofa with Chace leaning against the counter.
"So what do I do?" she asks them, looks on helplessly. "I can't just go in there and tell her how I feel.”
“Yes, you can,” Penn points out. “It’s actually the most preferred way.”
“Don’t listen to Penn,” Ed says as he waves him off. “You have to have a plan. You’ve seen Hitch.”
“So we’ve decided to help you out.” Chace then turns around to pull a box from behind him. He rummages through it before retrieving one of the contents.
Blake quickly covers her mouth as she yelps in surprise at what her eyes land on. Quickly covering her mouth, her eyes widen in horror as she sees what can only possibly be a sock puppet…of herself.
“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
Chace doesn’t respond except for putting his hand in the sock, adjusting it on his arm.
Blake doesn’t move from her seat between Ed and Penn, who surprisingly has kept quiet the entire time. Her disbelieving stare takes turn looking at Chace who has his arm raised with a sock puppet of her and the sock itself, wondering just how much of Chace’s brain really functions. Because, really, this can’t be a result of it actually working. No way.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” she says in mild horror and shock at what she sees. But it doesn’t stop her from rising off the couch and walking towards Chace to inspect her doppelganger.
The sock turns out resembling her more than she cares to admit, since it’s a fucking sock puppet and everything. Bright yellow yarn falls over the puppet’s face as two identical emerald buttons hold place for her eyes. Her red lips are drawn and for a split second, she’s impressed. But that split second comes and goes because there are pressing matters to deal with: like what in the hell is Chace doing with sock puppets.
She discovers that there are actually other sock puppets in the box and it’s not just hers. She yanks out of the boxes the other socks, discovering that there’s one for just about each of them.
She pulls out Leighton’s sock puppet, with the brown yarn for hair, the brown buttons for eyes and the painted crimson lips. Even as a puppet, Blake can’t help be smitten.
Holding the half dozen sock puppets in her hands, Blake furrows her brows and looks at Chace in confusion.
“Do you want to explain why there’s a sock puppet for each of us?” Chace only smiles and puts his arm up, the one that’s dressed in sock-Blake.
“Look, I’ve researched this and apparently, women process everything, lesbians especially. So we,” he emphasizes, gesturing with the puppet towards the other guys in the trailer, “figure that we’d help you process a plan to get together with Leighton.”
Blake raises her eyebrows because this was just too much. All of them were treating this like it’s the most normal suggestion in the entire world. “And you think that we can do that with sock puppets?”
“If you don’t want our help, then that’s on you. You can keep standing in front of your own trailer looking like a fool.” Blake swears that she heard the hurt in his voice and she can’t help feel amused.
“He’s right, Blakey. You can only sport that mopey puppy dog face for so long before everyone figures out you want to bone the other leading costar.”
“You think people know?” she asks worriedly because she knows she’s not the most subtle creature on the planet, what with her constant need to always be around the girl in question, but she’s been careful. She thinks. She hopes.
“Let’s just say that at least every puppet you’re holding knows,” Ed smirks, nodding to the set of socks she’s holding in her arms. Blake looks down to discover that sock-Leighton with its brown buttons for eyes are looking straight at her.
“You guys are insane. I’m just gon-I’m just gonna go. Thanks for trying to help me out, guys, but I think I’ll handle this one by myself.” She places the socks back into the box and starts to head out of the trailer.
“Suit yourself, love,” Ed tells her as he gets up from the couch and pulls out one of the sock puppets out of the box. It’s sock-Leighton. “But Chace worked hard on these all yesterday. Especially this one. Shame to put it to waste.”
Blake knows Ed. She knows he’s baiting her. She knows this, but there’s no way she’s going to get Leighton to go out with her using sock puppets of themselves. It doesn’t help that Chace’s excited face from earlier has fallen to disappointment.
She has no idea what to say to any of them, the three leading stars of the show holding sock puppets.
And even if she did, it has nothing to do with her and everything to do with how and why sock puppets of all damn things?
She shakes her head as she walks out of the trailer, not knowing how to react to the fact that those three leading stars look mildly disappointed for not being able to use sock puppets to help her love life actually exist.
;;
Blake walks back to her trailer from Penn’s thinking that Leighton’s not due back for a while. So it startles her completely out of her boots to find Leighton only in her underwear dancing to Cobra Starship. It literally takes her breath away and she has to remember that there is such a thing as breathing and she has to do it.
Leighton hasn’t seen her yet so she takes advantage of the moment to steel herself into pretending that she didn’t just have dirty thoughts pervade her mind.
“So Chace just made sock puppets of us,” she says to announce her presence in the room.
“What?” Leighton turns around, heeding no mind to the fact that she’s only in her underwear. She takes the remote from the couch and lowers the volume.
“I said Chace just made sock puppets of us.”
Leighton looks at her confused. It takes all of Blake’s power not to look below Leighton’s face. “Why?”
It’s a now or never thing and seeing the alternative, sock puppets, Blake knows that this has to be it. She takes a deep breath. I can do this. I’m a stud.
“Because I wanted to ask you out but didn’t know how. So he thought it’d be helpful.”
Blake doesn’t know what she’s expecting to come out of Leighton’s mouth. But she doesn’t expect her to ask that.
“So he decided on sock puppets?” she walks away from facing Blake to get the satin robe sitting on her bed.
“Did you not hear what I said?” She’s not trying to sound like a twat here, but she’s trying to do something. It would help if Leighton is paying attention.
“I heard you fine, Blake. But really, sock puppets?” she asks as she pulls on the robe to envelope her.
“Maybe he was deprived as a child,” Blake suggests, shrugging her shoulders. She goes to sit on their couch and begins thinking of ways to revise this impromptu plan of hers.
“Yeah, probably.” It’s not even seconds and Leighton’s already sidled up beside her. “So,” she says slowly. “Why didn’t you?”
“What?”
“Just ask.” Blake chuckles
“You know, that’s what Penn said.”
“And you didn’t listen?” she asks, eyebrows raised.
“Well, Penn also said being his faux-mance girlfriend would help steer clear the paparazzi of my homo tendencies and we see how that’s not the case,” Blake says pointedly.
“I don’t know. The boy has to get something right at one point,” she says with a laugh. Soon, Blake joins in.
They get quiet right after and it takes a beat until Leighton faces her.
“So ask me now,” she says.
“What?”
“On a date. Ask me now.”
“What?”
“You like me. I like you. This is the part where it’s easy, Blake. Ask me now.”
“No.”
“Why not? You’re here, I’m here. I think this is a decent opening considering your other options.” Leighton frowns.
“I don’t know. I don’t-I guess I don’t want you to know how I do it or something. Like, it’s not as fun if you just go on and say yes.” Leighton laughs and gets up from her spot off the couch. Blake has no idea what she’s laughing about and actually stands frozen in her spot, mesmerized in watching Leighton shrug on the oversized black jacket.
“You’re a stud, Lively,” she says, smirking. Blake responds with a smug smile to show off her confidence but the tinting of her cheeks give her away.
Leighton starts walking towards her. She draws out her words slowly as she takes a step closer until she’s inches away from Blake. “But who says I’ll say yes?”
Blake’s about to protest when Leighton cuts her off. “Don’t be so sure.”
Leighton’s grinning like the devil, so like Blair, as she walks away from Blake toward the trailer door.
“Is this a challenge?” Blake asks. Leighton turns around, eyebrow raised.
“Does your manhood feel threatened?” She winks and walks out without so much as a second glance back. The door’s already closed before Blake can even respond to that. She shuffles to the door and opens it wide and sees a retreating figure in that unmistakable giant coat.
“You take that back! How dare you insult me with something like a manhood?!” She yells it so loud, some of the crew walking past her trailer stop and stare at her. She clears her throat and apologizes to them but not before seeing Leighton tilt her head upwards in what Blake can be sure of as Leighton laughing at her.
--
It’s the end of filming for the day and it’s time to go home. Blake’s waiting near her trailer until Chace walks past her by the makeup trailer. She looks at him like she feels she’s the one with the extra head poking out of her neck. She doesn’t know what makes her do it, but there she is.
If it doesn’t work out, then fine. The look on his face, though, like someone just proved that Santa was real, is good enough for her. Maybe. Well, she hopes so.
;;
They wait patiently behind the couch cushions they’ve formed as walls in Penn’s trailer. They’re there until Leighton shows up, to get their plan put into action. She already put sock-Leighton on her costar’s bed in their shared trailer with a note that instructs her to go to Penn’s trailer. It’s only a matter of time before Leighton shows up.
“You sure this is gonna work?” she looks at him skeptically.
“Nope.” He grins like an idiot and all Blake wants to do is punch his delicate face just so he’d stop. “You ready?” he asks.
“No, but what the hell.” It’s all ridiculous and insane and she knows that this can easily go downhill. But love’s taking chances and all that crap, so she’s going to give it a try.
Penn’s on her other side holding onto his puppet practicing the hand gestures that they all agreed on the night before. He smiles at her when he sees her looking and she’s curious how he’s okay with all of this, like sock-puppets are in or whatever.
Taylor radios in to Ed that Leighton’s on her way and she knows it’s game time. Ed motions for Jessica to get in place to videotape the whole thing. Nothing like a ridiculously cheesy proposal for a date to look over fondly over drunken nights.
She shakes the funny feelings away and recites her mantra inside.
I can do this. I’m a stud. I can do this, I’m a stud. I can do this…
They hear the door squeak open and Ed from the back turns the stereo on. He brings up sock-Ed and sock-Chace from behind their makeshift wall. Penn does the same. Inhaling a lungful of air, Blake then puts her doppelganger up in front of their wall.
She then proceeds to animatedly sing her part of the revised version via sock-Blake.
Hey, hey, you, you, I know that you like me
No way, no way, you know it's not a secret
Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend
Blake hears more laughter come from the other side and is encouraged even more to do well in her performance. Or, well, the performance of her sock puppet.
You're so fine, I want you mine, you're so delicious
I think about you all the time, you're so addictive
Don't you know what I can do to make you feel alright?
Alright, alright, alright
It surprises Blake how well choreographed Penn and Chace were the entire time, moving their hands to point at Leighton each time the word “you” came up. But it surprises her how well she got into the performance herself.
Ed turns the radio off and the three performers stand from behind the couch cushions to take a bow.
Blake stands between Penn and Chace holding the sock to her side. She looks shyly at Leighton, grasping the sock tightly in her hand.
“Bravo,” Leighton says through her sock puppet, playing along willingly.
Blake remembers later how she fell in love with her all over again just for that.
Chace, Penn and Ed take their bows behind Blake who has already walked past the cushions and close to her audience.
“Well done, Lively. That was an impressive show,” Leighton says through her puppet with a giant smile on her face and laughter in her eyes.
“Thanks. It’s the genius work of one Chace Crawford,” she mimes through her own puppet. It’s now a conversation between sock-Leighton and sock-Blake.
She makes a mental note to personally thank Chace later because he may have been deprived as a child, but it paid off in adulthood, even if it wasn’t his.
“Wanna go on a date with me, Leighton?” sock-Blake asks. Leighton shifts her hand, pretending for it to look around, to ponder the idea.
“What’s in it for me?” sock-Leighton asks back. Blake smirks.
“Well,” she says softly, almost whispering. “I’m really good with my hands.” she responds slyly, huskily, that she forgets to move the sock’s mouth along.
Leighton’s contagious laughter fills the room and it doesn’t take long until Blake registers other people laughing with her. Her cheeks turn completely pink, obviously embarrassed.
“After a performance like that, who wouldn’t want to go out with you,” Leighton finally says, teasingly.
Blake glares at her with absolutely no malice as she quickly beams in excitement bringing her puppet close to Leighton’s.
Taylor, Jess and the boys hurrahed in celebration with their sock puppets in hand.