ardeur

the stage

"okay," s said. he wasn't sure if he would get along with the woman who would be having a fake sex scene with his lover, but he supposed he could try. he wrapped his arms around the other and they went to cuddle on their shared bed, legs intertwined, s's head on v's chest.

the next day v was grabbing his things as his costar approached him. f walked over with a smile, carrying her bag over her shoulder.

"hey, you said you wanted to talk?" she asked. v nodded.

"yeah, thanks. so you know my boyfriend?" he nervously said.

f chuckled. "of course. s, right? you talk about him all the time. how could i not?" v turned a little pink, not realizing how often he fawned over his partner.

"yeah, well, he heard about the show and was feeling a little uneasy when he found out about our scene," the young man explained.

"oh, the one where we're almost naked, make out on the tiny sofa on stage, and have to moan embarrassingly loud?" she nonchalantly questioned.

"yeah, that one," v laughed. he liked how casual f was about it. even though they had practiced the scene so many times, she never made it awkward for him and respected his boundaries. he knew he could trust her and so could s. "my boyfriend just wanted to meet you so he knew what kind of person you were. it won't take long, just a quick hi so he can see that you're cool."

"i understand, i would do the same in his position," she said with a nod. v was grateful for this and the pair sat and talked as they waited for s to come.

"hey baby," s said, walking in and seeing the two actors. they both got up to greet him. s kissed v on the cheek and snaked an arm around his waist, being a little too obvious about how possessive he could be. f was amused by this and could tell how much the two loved each other.

"i'm f," she introduced herself. the two shook hands and v was pleased by the civil interaction. "i'm v's costar and i just wanted to let you know that there's nothing to worry about. it's just a scene and there's nothing more to it." s nodded, appreciating how upfront the young woman was being.

"thank you," he said. "i feel a little better now." v pulled s closer and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"of course," f grinned. "i wouldn't want either of you to feel uncomfortable." her words eased s's mind, but he still had doubts and v could tell.

"hey f, do you wanna get dinner with us? you don't have to, but it would be nice. we can just hang out," v said to the other two's surprise.

"yeah, that sounds fun as long as you guys are cool with it," she responded, looking at s who nodded, not hating the idea. it would be easier for him if he knew f better and could trust her.

the three climbed into s's car and went to a small, retro-style diner. they had a lovely meal and all got along well. f was glad she got to meet her costar's boyfriend that he so often talked about. v was very sweet to her and she found it reassuring that his partner treated him so well. seeing the happy couple made it easier for her to push down her own feelings.

because yes, f was infatuated with the male she swore she didn't have feelings for, and yes, she felt awful for it. she had always tried to separate her love life from her work life, but being around v so often and kissing and touching him made it impossible for her not to feel some way towards him. he was so wonderful and she had fallen for him before she even knew it. but it was because she loved him that she wouldn't say anything about the pain in her heart every time she watched v kiss s. she knew that v was happy with his relationship and she would never do anything to tear that joy away from him.