Playing The Part
{Grant x Reader}
requested
"Yo, yo, yo." The obvious voice of Grant Gustin filled the air. I spun around on my heels - because apparently my character wears heels out in the dark when a terrifying villain is prowling the city streets - and came face to face with my co-star. My hands slammed right into Grant's chest, startling us both. Our noses almost bumped, as our eyes widened at each other.
"Did you really just say yo, yo, yo?" I chuckled, pulling myself away from him and trying to recover. I'd been on The Flash since the start of season two, but I just couldn't seem to stop being awkward around Grant. The awkwardness seemed to be reciprocated. But, it was a friendship, nonetheless, and a friendship I genuinely loved. I had been playing Barry Allen's college best friend for a year now, so Grant and I had spent a lot of time together bonding and getting to know each other. I felt as though I was really one of Grant's best friends now.
"Did you really just run into me?" Grant asked, raising an eyebrow at me teasingly.
"You ran into me, dork," I smiled, shaking my head. He looked dorky, wearing his Flash suit. But somehow, he made the red leather look cute.
We were the last ones to film tonight, and all of our friends had gone home. It was just Grant and I left of the cast, getting ready to perform one of our most important scenes together.
"Yeah, sorry," Grant shrugged helplessly. "So, are you ready to confess your love for me?"
I laughed, rolling my eyes. "It's not my love. It's Jane's. You wish it was me, though." I looked back into Grant's eyes again, a familiar set of eyes that I'd been forced to stare into longingly many times before. He was grinning back at me, making my heart melt. I hated that. Liking co-stars never ended well, and I didn't want to ruin my quirky friendship with Grant. But all because Jane was in love Barry, meant that I slowly started falling in love with Grant.
"You're right," his words caught me off guard, but he kept going, "But when I kiss you passionately in a few minutes, know it's Barry, not me."
"You sure about that?" I joked back, raising an eyebrow at him, still thinking about the first part.
"Uh, I mean..." his eyebrows furrowed, "Why wouldn't I be? Do I have a reason not to be?"
I could feel my cheeks heating up, like I'd been called on in class and didn't know the right answer. Could Grant see right through my facade? Could he see that behind all of my dumb jokes I really did like him? That during every single one of our movie nights I was more fascinated with him than the movie playing? That I could not wait to film this scene - to pour out my heart to him without actually laying everything out?
"Y/N, Grant, to your places, please!" I heard someone call out. Without an answer from me, we headed off to our marked spots on the black street.
In this scene, Barry was about to run after a metahuman who was rampaging throughout Central City, destroying everything in his sight. It was a dangerous fight, and what's the best thing to do in preparation to fighting a crazy, super-powered man just waiting for your blood? To kiss your best friend and confess your love, of course. If this was real life, and Grant was putting himself in danger, I would probably tell him my true feelings. But this was a television show, and Barry would be okay, and Grant wasn't put into danger everyday.
The scene started, Grant, as Barry, standing a few feet in front of me.
"Barry, this is dangerous," I stated firmly, masking myself in my character's demeanor and words. "This is utterly insane."
"You know I have to do it," Grant answered, taking a small step forward. Just with one line, he already set off an electricty into the scene. Grant was so easy to work with, making every scene come to life as soon as the cameras started rolling.
"But I wish it didn't have to be so dangerous," I admitted, taking a step, forward, too.
Grant's eyes raked my body up and down, waiting for me to continue. Following the script, I took quick, hurried steps towards him, my heels clanking against the pavement as I closed the gap between me and The Flash.
"Barry Allen, you better promise me that you'll come home to me. Because if you don't, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know what I'd do without you, Barry. Be careful." My words were firm, but filled the air in a whisper. I could feel the camera's eyes on us, capturing the moment between Barry and Jane.
"I'll always come home to you," Grant murmured back. His eyes looked into mine so intensely, the moment felt real.
I moved my face closer to him, tilting my head up. My lips met his briefly, barely tasting the flavor of his peppermint Chapstick against his soft lips. I pulled away, opening my eyes slowly and thoughtfully, not sure if that kiss was from Jane, or from me.
"I love you," I breathed, continuing the script. I'd forgotten to add Barry at the end of the line, but I kept going anyway. "I've been in love with you forever. Watching you love someone else, gosh, it killed me. But if you're about to put yourself in danger over and over again, I need you to know I love you."
Grant's eyes were filling with tears. At the sight of him, at the sincerity of Jane's words, I could feel my own brimming with tears, too. This was a magical moment, and I was jealous of two characters.
"And I love you." Grant had spoken the script wrong, mixing up the words from 'I love you, too' to that. But nobody minded, and nobody yelled cut. "It's always been you, it just took me too long to notice." He stopped there, letting the romantic moment pass over everyone. If I wasn't so secure in my friendship with Grant, I would've believed him right then and there. I would've given anything to be able to believe those words. Grant was just playing a part, but every little bit of energy and emotion pouring out felt truthful.
"I'm sorry," Grant said, and I knew that wasn't scripted at all. "But just know that I'll always come home to you." He finished his lines, his eyes searching mine.
"Good," I smiled lightly, just for Grant to bring his mouth to mine, kissing me this time. His arms wrapped around me tightly, his mouth moving against mine. For a moment, I'd forgotten that this was Jane and Barry, not Grant and Y/N.
He pulled away first, eyes still looking into mine. "I'm coming back for you so we can, uh, finish this," Grant beamed, wearing his goofy Barry Allen grin. He looked adorable and giddy, and I nodded at him. He started stepping backwards and away, ready to run off.
"Right," I smiled, "You go save the world and we can kiss again later."
"I'm counting on that," Grant grinned. That line wasn't scripted either. He was supposed to just run off in the direction of this episode's super villain. But instead he took that moment to linger, to prove to Jane that he was crazy for her. And I was insane to think that it could've actually been for me, Y/N.
"Cut!"
I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, my smile fading. I'd just had my first kiss with Grant, and it wasn't even my kiss. I was a pathetic, hopeless romantic.
"I lied," was the first thing out of Grant's mouth. He jogged back to me, looking right at me. Y/N.
"What?" I asked, shaking my head.
"I lied," he said again, "I told you that kiss was from Barry, not me. I... we... that wasn't... acting."
A smile grew across my face. I couldn't tell if he was messing with me or being serious, but everything inside of me hoped for the latter.
"What do you mean?" I asked casually, trying not to scream out that he'd just said that. First, I needed clarification that he actually meant what he told me.
"I know you meant it." Grant's voice dropped to a murmur as he stared down at me. He stared longingly, as if it was Barry, not Grant, looking at me. I felt like I was under a magnifying glass, every emotion I'd ever had being put on display for Grant to see.
"Yeah, Jane did," I shrugged.
"Shut up," Grant laughed, a tiny grin plastered on his face, "I know you, Y/N, and I know when you're not acting. Don't you know the same for me?" He was searching my eyes frantically, looking for something I didn't know.
For the second time tonight, I wasn't able to answer. I could never imagine a world where my dreams came true, and it wasn't just acting between Grant and I.
"So, uh," I stammered, "M-maybe you're... right?" My words came out jumbled and more like a question, but how was I supposed to react?
"We both know that wasn't acting," Grant breathed. He closed the gap between us, catching my lips on his. An electricity flowed between us as my lips responded to his, eager and happy. It seemed as though Barry's eagerness hadn't gone away from Grant.
There we were, kissing in the cool, night air while he was dressed as a superhero. I couldn't imagine a more perfect first kiss.
For the third time, Grant was kissing me tonight. For the first time, it was truly Y/N kissing back.
• • • • •
author's note | hey, everyone! so this idea was brought to me by @_gtfobea! thank you for your idea!!
also, yesterday i watched a mother's nightmare for the first time and woW that was intense. grant was just so sweet and adorable and well, yikes. crazy stuff went down.
but thanks for all your reads guys! it seems like we're getting so many more reads so quickly! thank you!