Working Title | Chapter 9
Pairing: Dieter Bravo x OFC Belle
Rating: Mature, 18+, for the love of all things please don’t engage if you are a minor ok?
Word Count: 6.2k (A longer one from me, but I added in some Dieter POV).
Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Chapter 9 on AO3
Chapter Summary: More first-day shenanigans from the set. Also, news of Dieter and Belle’s date is starting to make the rounds.
Chapter Warnings: This one gets a little angsty at times but then there’s fluff because it’s me and I can’t help myself, especially with Dieter. There is also swearing (again, it’s me) and allusions to body insecurity and a past toxic relationship (aka Ryan sucks, booo!). There's also a brief discussion of fan culture, especially online.
“I hope you have a great first day. I’ll see you a little bit later?”
I don’t want her to leave. I knew our time this morning would be too short.
For someone with an addictive personality, Dieter had grown to recognize the tipping point when something became a craving. And that’s how he felt about Belle – he craved her. Her presence, her smile, her laugh. But unlike his previous vices, being around her made him feel better, stronger…complete.
“Thanks, and yea I’ll see you around …8?”
“Something like that,” Dieter leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek even though all he wanted to do was wrap her up in his arms and pin her against the counter again. “I’ll see you soon.”
He was grateful that both of his scenes today were with Indy and Sam, which meant he would have some time to see Belle so they could hang out together on set. He watched her as she walked down the hallway to the elevator. His eyes slowly scanned from the top of her head, down to her shoulders, her back, the curves of her ass, her thighs. His hands twitched at his sides, remembering how she felt and imagining how soft her skin must be.
His brows furrowed slightly as he recalled how she tensed up when he tried to move his hand up her shirt. It broke his heart a bit for her. To him, she was so beautiful, and he wanted her to see herself the way he saw her. He was willing to do whatever it took, hoping she could get to a point where she felt comfortable enough with him to share the parts of her past that had obviously left their scars. He wanted to know everything about her, even though it scared him knowing she’d want him to reciprocate as well.
The elevator dinged, pulling him out of his thoughts and he looked up just in time to see Belle getting in. They locked eyes and he gave her a small two-finger wave, already counting down the minutes until he could see her again. Closing the door he heard his phone ring.
Well, she’s calling bright and early.
"Hey, Lizzie. Mornin," he rubbed his face to shake the thought of Belle out so he could concentrate on whatever Liz was calling about.
"Morning sunshine. Glad I caught you. Wanted to give you a heads-up that I'm about to board the plane. I stop in Honolulu first and then I’ll hop on another plane over to you. Should be there by the time you wrap today."
"Cool, sounds good. Wanna get dinner tonight?"
"You sure? I don't want to cockblock any plans you may have. Surely you have something planned to celebrate the first day of shooting. Especially to follow up from yesterday?" She teased.
Liz knew about Dieter and Belle’s date to the coffee farm followed by dinner because photos had reached some of the fan accounts online. Her heart always skipped a beat whenever she would get alerts or notifications about Dieter, even to this day. But in this case, it made her smile. He looked so peaceful and relaxed in the candid shots that were snapped, with his boyish grin and eyes sparkling and crinkled in genuine laughter. She was amazed at the effect Belle had on Dieter after just a couple of days.
“Wait, how do you-”
“There’s photos Dee…”
He sighed, “Ugh, I swear I couldn’t even tell, I should have warned her…”
“Dee, I know Indy isn’t like a huge celebrity, but I’m sure she’s been recognized before out with Belle. She has to know that you’ll attract attention wherever you go.”
Dieter remembered the question Belle asked him the day before at dinner. It dragged up his protective side – he was okay with being in the public eye, but he didn’t want to assume she would be comfortable with the attention. He started to spiral, wondering if she was checking her social media or if someone had sent her a photo asking questions. He just hoped she didn’t read the comments. He didn’t read them himself, not anymore. He used to love interacting with fans, but the nasty comments always cut through to him and were what he’d end up remembering. It was easier for him to just ignore it all.
“I know, I just…ugh you know how I get with this shit you know? I wish I would have known, we could have talked about it this morn-" He paused, not meaning to divulge the last bit.
"Oh, already having sleepovers, are we?" He could practically hear her smirk.
"No, it wasn't like that Lizzie. She stopped by this morning for coffee."
"That's it? Actually, wait no, don't answer that," she chuckled. "So, things’re going okay then?"
"Which thing…?"
"Well, I know you have the script memorized backward and forwards and you’re going to kick ass today. I mean with Belle, duh! How's it going with you two?"
"G-good, I think. I… we've kissed…a couple of times."
Liz whistled into the phone. "Well, of course you have. You've given her the eyes, right? Sure you have, wait don't answer that…Something else is up, what is it?"
Dieter sighed, after so many years together, Liz was part mom, part friend, and part therapist all rolled up in one. She was one of the only people he felt comfortable enough with to confide in and share his true feelings. "I don't know, I feel like she's putting up a wall or something."
"Well, have you talked to her about it?"
"I don't want to force it. I don't know…it feels like I could be poking at some bad memories or something and I don't want her to have to deal with that unless she wants to. And now with people taking photos of us, ugh, I don’t want her to get freaked out."
"Oh my sweet, always overthinking everything Dieter. You realize it's only been like what two days? Is this day three?"
"I can't keep count anymore," he chuckled. "It hasn't been long at all but it also feels sometimes like I've known her forev-"
He hears Liz's flight get called to board as she cuts him off. "Look Dee, I'm sure she has to be a little freaked out that it's you you know? Despite the photos, I’d imagine she’s going to be more nervous about how it might look to everyone on set. Just talk to her, okay? Gotta go see you soon!"
"Yeah, I will. Have a safe flight, Lizzie."
As he hung up the phone he thought about what Liz said. It hadn’t occurred to him how the other members of the cast and crew may treat Belle after finding out how close she and Dieter were starting to become. The last thing he wanted was for her to be negatively affected, especially career-wise. He wanted them to stay in a little bubble, just the two of them, without the looks and whispers from people trying to sneak photos of them. Unfortunately, their little bubble was bursted by the start of production. Sure, they’d still see each other every day, but things had to remain professional on set. At least, that’s what he tried telling himself, knowing that if he thought with his dick it would be an entirely different situation.
Getting involved with someone in the cast or on the crew was not new to Dieter. He had calmed down in recent years, thanks to his sobriety. But previously? He’d ask pretty much anyone with a pulse if they wanted to fuck him. Unfortunately, there were still people who either didn’t know he had changed or, possibly worse, didn’t believe it.
Aubrey was one of those people. She had worked on a few of his recent projects. She was always friendly, but she became increasingly more and more flirty with each shoot. It all came to a head during pre-production in LA a few weeks ago. She asked him to go out for drinks, which he quickly refused. It was almost as if getting denied emboldened her even more. Ten years ago, he would have already had his way with her on every surface in his suite, on set, and in a few other places around the resort. But, ever since he saw Belle in the lobby of the studio those weeks ago, he felt like there was a magnet pulling him to her. He wanted to know everything about her and she felt … special.
A knock at his door snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Danny who had stopped by with breakfast, ready to go over Dieter’s schedule for the day.
"Think there's a chance I can get hair and makeup done earlier?” Dieter asked as he took a bite of the breakfast sandwich.
"Uh…maybe. Why? D’you miss Belle that much?”
Dieter rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head as he downed his orange juice. Danny tried to not break out in a giant smile, but it warmed his heart to see his boss act this way. He'd seen Dieter smitten before, but never like this.
"You really like her huh?'
"Yeah, I really do, Dan. She's just…I dunno, I just really like being around her…Hey, did the flowers get sorted?"
"Yup, all good and should be in the trailer as we speak. I think she- I mean, they will all like it." He smirked. "Ok, well let me get down to see Mare to ask about coming earlier. I'll text you."
DANNY: You’re good to come down whenever boss.
Once that message came in, Dieter wasted no time grabbing his phone and script so he could rush to set. As he approached the makeup trailer, he felt butterflies in his stomach, excited to not only see Belle again but to see her in her element. Upon opening the door, his eyes were greeted with a sight that conjured up a dream he had last night.
Belle was on all fours underneath the table, struggling to unplug something. But Dieter couldn't concentrate on anything else other than her. Frankly, if he had been asked about the color of his own shirt he wouldn’t have been able to confidently answer it.
Fuuuck. Okay, think about…baseball. Or running. Or puppies. Something, anything, to not fucking pop a boner in here like a goddamn teenager.
“Oh hey, Dee” he heard Meredith call over.
Belle must have been startled by his presence, wincing as she jumped suddenly, bumping her head on the table.
“You good, Belle? The fucking table came out of nowhere didn’t it?” Meredith teased.
“Ha ha, very funny,” Belle grumbled as she crawled back from out underneath the table, rubbing the top of her head. As she looked in the mirror, her eyes met Dieter’s. His attempts to think innocent thoughts were not working, a particularly vivid image crossed his mind, bringing a smirk to his face.
Meredith forgot something and rushed out of the trailer. Honestly, Dieter didn’t really hear what she said, knowing that he had an opportunity to talk with Belle. He casually closed the gap between the door and her station, picking up and examining some of the products she laid out, knowing her eyes were on him. As he walked closer, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “For the record, volleyball shorts have now moved up my list of demands.”
Before he could say anything else, Meredith walked in and he moved back to her station. He was trying to stay present in his conversation with Meredith. Sitting in her chair was always a good time for him, she was funny and always gave him great advice. Still, he couldn’t help but glance over to Belle, watching her work.
She had a younger stylist with her, maybe an intern or an apprentice, he wasn’t quite sure. He marveled at how patient Belle was with the girl, graciously answering questions and showing off different techniques. It was turning him on to see her work – she was so knowledgeable and talented. For as flustered and nervous as she had been around him, she transformed into a confident, capable woman armed with makeup brushes and cans of various sprays. He didn’t think he could be more attracted to her, but yet he was.
He could feel Meredith looking at him in the mirror, a knowing smile on her face.
“What’s so funny Mare?”
“Oh, nothing funny Dee. Just…you seem happy.”
He looked down, rubbing his hands over his thighs. “Yeah, you can say that.”
Meredith already saw the photos of Dieter and Belle from yesterday – news travels fast on a set. That coupled with the flowers and their hidden meanings, she knew he had it bad for her lead stylist. Normally, this would sound alarms. She wasn’t the biggest fan of members of her staff being involved with the cast, she thought it sent the wrong message. But this situation felt different. Because of her history with Dieter, knowing the strides he had made over the years, she knew he wasn’t just looking for a hookup. And although she didn’t know Belle very well yet, she seemed like a sweet girl who would be a good influence on Dieter.
She made a mental note to ask him what his intentions were later today when they weren’t surrounded by other stylists and eavesdroppers. Instead, she decided to change the subject to the photoshoot she was set to work on tomorrow.
“So, we still good for tomorrow? Liz texted me the schedule before her plane took off.”
“Yeah…um about that. How would you feel if um…you…are you sure you want to leave set for a whole day? We just started filming and I know what a control freak you are. You ok with leaving? I don’t mind if you need to send someone else.” His hand was gripping and palming the arms of his chair.
Meredith thought it was cute he was trying to be sly when she knew exactly what he was after. She was going to make him say it.
“What are you suggesting Dee?”
“Um…” he squinted, biting his lip. “Just saying, if you wanted to send someone in your place you don’t have to worry about me. I’m good with whatever.”
“OK, you have someone in mind?” She stopped fixing his hair, staring at him in the mirror as a corner of her mouth turned up.
He nodded.
“You going to make me say it, then?” she started to chuckle, glancing over at Belle in the mirror.
Again, Dieter nodded.
“So let me get this straight. You are graciously letting me stay on set tomorrow and instead are pulling my number two off set to spend the day with you?”
“Uh…” his eyes widened.
“I’m just fucking with you Dee, that’s perfectly fine,” she chuckled. “She’s super talented and I think she’ll enjoy that assignment a lot more than I would have,” she leaned in, talking lower and giving him a wink in the mirror.
“Cool, then it’s settled. Thank you for being so…accommodating,” he winked right back.
She was just about finished up when Dieter looked over and saw Belle applying a prosthetic to an extra, her assistant hovering beside her taking in every movement Belle made.
She’s such a badass.
“Ok, Dee, you’re all set,” Meredith gave a slight squeeze to Dieter’s shoulders, indicating that he could get up.
Belle had tilted the extra’s chair back so she was standing in Dieter’s direct path out of the cramped trailer. As he got closer he put a hand to her lower back so he could get around her.
“‘Scuse me, gotta get right by you.” He felt a wave of relief wash over him when he didn’t feel her tense at his touch.
“Oh, sure, ha-have a great day.”
“You ladies have a great day too,” he winked.
Your face hurt by how much you were smiling. You felt so much pride seeing Indy in front of the camera and kicking ass. She was hitting all of her marks and delivering a great performance. As you stood behind the monitors watching Indy and Sam run through another take, you couldn’t help but think about all the late nights spent with your best friend crying on your shoulder, heartbroken that she was passed over again for a part. The last decade wasn’t always the easiest, but it brought you both to this set.
“They’re doing great, I think we’ll be able to wrap this scene up ahead of schedule,” you overhear one of the crew members say.
The first scene of the shoot was a quick walk and talk between Indy and Sam. It was also the first time you had seen them interact in front of the camera. Their chemistry was undeniable and you knew the audience would love them together.
You felt your phone buzz, cursing yourself that you didn’t put it on silent, but you wanted to make sure you were available in case Meredith needed you. You smiled when you saw it was Dieter and quickly unlocked your phone.
DIETER: How’s your head?
Umm what?
DIETER: Shit, I realize how that may sound lol I meant when you bumped your head earlier. In the makeup trailer?
You breathed a sigh, chuckling a bit at yourself for where your mind immediately went.
BELLE: Oh. Honestly, it’s a miracle I’m able to continue, but here I am. 🙂
DIETER: I knew you were a badass 😉
DIETER: Meredith doesn’t need a worker’s comp claim on the first day…
BELLE: Lol. I’d hate to do that to her. Can’t have multiple divas running around this set.
DIETER: Ouch! 😉
DIETER: Speaking of, I made a demand already.
BELLE: About what? Your trailer too small?
DIETER: No, it’s actually quite spacious. You should come check it out sometime…
You blushed at the implication, grinning to yourself at this exchange. Staring at your phone rather than his beautiful brown eyes made it easier to come up with some flirty banter.
DIETER: I actually want to talk to you about it … my demand. You have lunch plans? Danny said we are taking lunch after my first scene wraps.
BELLE: Nope, no plans.
DIETER: Cool. Tell Sam and Indy to hurry up so I can get called to set.
BELLE: Haha, I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
BELLE: Oh, I meant to tell you, the flowers were beautiful. We all loved them!
DIETER: I'm happy to hear that. It was a very special arrangement.
“Cut! Can we get hair and makeup for some quick touchups?” you heard the assistant director yell out, making you tuck your phone away in your bag and rush over to Indy and Sam, careful to not trip over any of the cords.
“Hey!” you whispered to Indy as you approached her, blotting sheet in hand. “You’re doing amazing!”
“You think so?” She raised her eyebrows, with a big grin on her face.
“Absolutely! I heard them say that they’re probably going to be ahead of schedule, that you both are going to need less takes than they thought!”
Indy let out a big exhale, relieved to hear that she was doing well. You start to pull out a few items from your kit to touch up her makeup and tame some flyaways.
“Hey Belle, think you could check my hair when you're done?” you heard Sam behind you.
“Absolutely. But Sam, you’re killing me with how often you’re touching your hair!” You teased him.
“Sorry, I…can’t help it when I get nervous,” he rubbed the back of his neck.
You finish up with Indy and run your fingers through Sam’s hair, taming it and getting it back in place with a quick spritz of hairspray.
After they run through one more take, you hear the assistant director call for one final take before wrapping. You felt Dieter before you saw him, turning around to see him walking towards you. He looked so handsome in his suit, his glasses folded in one hand, his script in the other. He was smiling, his eyes crinkling up in that adorable way that made you swoon.
“Hey,” he mouthed to you and you gave a little wave as he came to stand next to you.
You both watched Indy and Sam through the monitor, Dieter inching his way closer to you, leaning an arm against the chair you were standing in front of.
“And cut! Print, we’re moving on!” The assistant director shouted as the crew milled about, resetting for the next scene.
“Showtime,” Dieter whispered to you, giving a wink.
You had a lot of fun watching Sam and Indy, but adding Dieter to the mix was entirely different. He was so effortless in his performance, changing up slight microexpressions with each take, which no doubt gave the editors many options to choose from. In between takes, Dieter gave his full attention to Indy or Sam answering their questions, or taking direction from the writers. When he wasn’t in serious actor mode, he showed off his goofy side, making jokes or dancing to keep the mood light. Everyone was all smiles.
The morning was going by quickly and you were ready for lunch. It had been such a busy morning, you never really ate a proper breakfast. Earlier, Sam snuck you a granola bar he had nabbed from the craft services table after hearing your stomach grumble between takes.
“So, you had quite the day yesterday didn’t you?” You heard a shrill voice next to you, trying your hardest to not roll your eyes once it registered that the voice belonged to Aubrey.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, you haven’t seen?” She handed over her phone, which was opened to an Instagram account that had several photos from the day before – photos of you and Dieter at the coffee farm, laughing as you were trying samples, and candids from your dinner. You felt a bit violated, you hadn’t even realized anyone had been taking photos of you other than the two people who asked for a selfie with Dieter.
As you scrolled through you happened to click on a photo which brought up the comments. You could see there were more than 300 comments on this post alone, although only a couple were displayed. You told yourself not to look, but you couldn’t help yourself, curiosity and a little bit of masochism reigning supreme.
Anyone know who the girl is?
Doesn’t seem like his usual type.
Ugh she’s so lucky!
She’s a little … bigger … than his last girl, right?
Woof, Dieter must really be desperate these days
Your stomach dropped and it felt like a WWE wrestler just punched you in the gut. You could feel your face getting red and you just wanted to run away before the frustrated tears started.
“Um…I…have to go to the bathroom,” you gave the phone back to Aubrey who had a smug smile on her face.
You wanted to bust out into a full sprint, just to put distance between yourself and everyone else, but you knew you had to be more discreet. Instead, you made a beeline back towards the makeup trailer. Indy took notice of your abrupt departure, craning her neck to see where you were going.
“Where’s she running off to?” Sam asked Indy, prompting Dieter to look up and see Belle scurrying away. He happened to glance over at Aubrey who was smirking as she propped her phone against her chin.
What the fuck did she say to her?
“Hey, are we good here?” Dieter asked the assistant director.
“Nah, let’s do one more, then I think we’re good.”
Dieter let out an annoyed sigh, he was itching to run after Belle. She was clearly upset and he didn’t want her to be alone. Seeing Aubrey with a phone only sounded the alarm bells in his head that she may have seen the photos.
Indy could sense a change in his energy, his jaw tensed and he got quiet. The last take wasn’t their best, but the director actually preferred the grumpiness Dieter added to the performance, not realizing it was Dieter who was doing a poor job of masking his real-life frustration.
“We good now?” He asked a bit more sternly than before.
“Yea, what’s the rush, you trying to be the first one to lunch?”
Dieter didn’t hear the rest of what the man had to say, rushing off in the direction he saw Belle go.
Where’d you go, baby?
You rushed past the sets, keeping your head down to avoid talking with anyone. When you made it to the makeup trailer, you collapsed into a chair, putting your head in your hands to try and breathe, tears streaming down your face.
In…two…three…out…two…three..four…five.
This went on for several minutes and you felt your pulse start to slow and your breathing evened out enough for you to sit up and stare at yourself in the mirror, not realizing how much time was passing by.
A soft knock on the door pulled you out of your thoughts. “Yea?” you croaked out as you frantically tried to wipe your tears.
The door opened and you saw a fluffy mop of hair. “Hey…uh…are you ok?”
You could feel the tears coming back and couldn’t trust your voice so you just shook your head side to side, looking down.
“Oh, sweetheart come here,” in a few strides Dieter was over to you, kneeling in front of your chair, taking your hands in his. You kept your gaze down, trying to avoid his eyes for fear of erupting into a full-out sob. “Hey, can you look at me,” he lightly lifted your chin to meet his eyes.
That’s when the damn broke. Seeing his concern. The fact that he sought you out to check on you and comfort you made the tears flow freely. He stood up and wrapped his arms around your shoulders, rubbing your back as you cried into his stomach. He kissed the top of your head, bringing one hand to cradle the back of your head, scratching your scalp.
“I- I’m sorry…I sniff sorry, I don’t want to ruin your shirt.”
“Shh that’s ok, there's extras.” He continued to comfort you, just letting you cry it out. After you slowed down and were able to get your breathing under control he cleared his throat, “You don’t have to tell me, but I really want to know what upset you. Wanna talk about it?”
You nodded and he pulled back as he wiped your tears with his thumbs before moving to caress your cheeks.
“S-sorry, just a lot of shit kinda came together at the same time,” you continued to sniff.
“Stop saying you’re sorry,” he said firmly searching your face. “Just break it down, one thing at a time.”
“I…I just feel like…so stupid for letting Aubrey get to me.”
He sighed, “Ugh, what did she do?”
“Well, I guess nothing necessarily. What she showed me just triggered some shit I guess.”
He grabbed a foldout chair and brought it to sit in front of you, taking your hand in his, rubbing circles with his thumbs.
You sat quietly together for a moment before you finally whispered, “Why me?”
“Huh?”
“Why me? You could literally spend time with anyone on this set, Aubrey included, why me?”
He looked confused, pulling his hands back and rubbing them down his face. "Baby, I could ask you the same question…I told you this morning. I…really like you. I like being around you. I like how comfortable I feel around you, relaxed even, which is saying something for me…" his big brown eyes looked up at you as if he wanted to say more, but stopped.
“People took photos of us yesterday.”
“I saw, I wanted to talk to you about that, actually.” He cleared his throat. “How do you feel about it?”
“Ha, which part?” you sniffled.
He looked down. “Being seen with me.”
“Being seen with you? I feel like it’s the opposite Dieter.” You shook her head, trying to fight back more tears.
“Are you serious? I’m with a beautiful, funny, smart woman who’s fucking great at her job. The only red flag I’ve seen so far is that you like pineapple on your pizza,” he smiled, hopeful you’d laugh, which you did.
“I don’t know if your fans agree.”
He sighed, “You read the comments didn’t you?” You nodded. “You can’t do that shit, honestly, it’s not worth it. For all of the wonderful, loving comments out there, the only ones that end up sticking are the shitty ones. I haven’t read them, what did they say?”
You took a deep breath, hoping you’d be able to keep it together. “Just that I’m not your usual type, that that I’m-” You couldn’t make it, starting to cry again.
Dieter once again got up to hug you before grabbing your face to look at him. “Listen, I know it hasn’t been long, but I really really like you Belle. You’re special. And I want to show you how special you are if you’ll let me. You’re the one in control here, baby, I'll do whatever you ask of me.”
He was so sincere and Indy’s earlier comment echoed in your head He doesn’t like her, he likes you, remember? So many emotions were running through your head, but all you wanted was comfort. For him to make you feel good. His puppy dog eyes weren’t helping matters either. So, you pushed all of your negative self-talk and thoughts aside, and let your body take over.
You crashed into him, wanting to feel his lips on yours. He was caught off guard, not kissing you back at first, but it only took a few seconds before his hand was in your hair. You opened your mouth, inviting his tongue to explore, which he eagerly did. He guided you to stand up, taking you with him as he moved you back toward the counter. He led the way with his hand to make sure the counter didn’t catch you off guard.
“Get on the counter," he panted in your ear, which made your panties instantly get soaked.
You shuffled to get yourself up as he positioned himself to stand in between your legs. He gripped your thighs, lifting underneath one of your knees as he pushed himself even closer to you.
You tugged on his tie as you brought him in for another kiss, which elicited a moan from him. You felt him getting harder, prompting you to take his suit jacket off. He let it fall to the floor as you moved both hands to rest on the back of his neck, lightly scratching and gripping his curls.
For his part, he kept his hands where they were – one cradling the back of your head, the other gripping your thigh so hard you knew it would leave a bruise, but you didn’t even care.
There was a frenzy to your kiss, trying to tell each other how you felt by your actions rather than with words. Dieter kissed up and down your neck, remembering how much you liked it from earlier this morning. You couldn’t help the moan that escaped your throat as he sucked ever so lightly under your ear. When his lips came back to yours to kiss again, you decided to give his bottom lip a little bite, hearing a low growl from the back of his throat.
You hadn’t really thought this through when you started – you weren’t sure how far you wanted to take things, fully aware that anyone could walk in at any second. Seeking out this type of physical comfort was not typical for you. It brought up thoughts of Ryan. A man, who never really comforted you; he never so much as gave you a hug after your dog died. But Dieter was different. He radiated empathy and warmth and you just wanted to be wrapped up in him. Your mind shut off as your body continued to take over. Moving your hands down his neck to his chest, making your way to his waist, untucking his shirt, and reaching for his belt.
This time, it was Dieter who put a stop to things, pulling back slightly. He cradled your face with both of his hands, putting his forehead against yours as he caught his breath.
"I thought I told you earlier I don't like to feel rushed," he smiled as he kissed the tip of your nose followed by your forehead. His kisses were so tender, a departure from the hurried pace from just a few moments ago.
The realization of what just happened hit you and you felt the anxiety and insecurity seeping back in after blocking it out.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” His concern was etched all over his face.
“Sorry, I- I mean, I didn’t mean to just…attack you like that,” you shook your head, looking down.
“Baby, you can literally jump me anytime you want,” Dieter smirked, which made the corners of your mouth turn. “But seriously…I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re nothing other than beautiful kiss sexy kiss and special. You hear me?”
You blushed, shaking your head at him.
“Look, I’ve been doing this for like 20 years…before there was any social media. Those were the days,” he chuckled. “Anyway, I’ve had to develop a tough skin over the years which resulted in mostly avoiding it all. Honestly, Liz controls a lot of what I post these days since there’s promotional stuff I need to do. I don’t even want to be tempted by looking at it. I can only imagine the type of shit Indy must get.”
“Yea, she’s gotten some really shitty stuff too,” you offered.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I can’t protect you from it. But don’t for one second believe any of that shit or take it to heart. I like spending time with you Belle, hell that’s why I asked Meredith if you could come do the photoshoot tomorrow instead of her.”
“Wait, what?” You had been freaking out about having to play Meredith all day on set tomorrow, it was giving you a lot of anxiety to have that much responsibility.
“Yeah, I…uh…surprise! That was my demand,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I thought it would be fun. Spend the day together. Although I’ll warn you, Liz will be there,” he let out another nervous laugh. “Plus, I think it will be good for you to make some connections. This photographer knows a ton of people.”
You didn’t know what to say. You were shocked and flattered that he thought of you.
“Wow, that’s awesome. Y-yea, I would love to do that. That is if you trust me with your hair.”
“Baby, I trust you with a lot more than my hair,” he rubbed his hands up and down your arms.
Your phone buzzing brought an abrupt halt to your moment. You checked your phone and it was Indy?
INDY: Color?
It was another one of your code words whenever one of you needed a moment to themselves. Since you didn’t need her to come rushing to you, you texted her back “green” so she knew everything was fine. In doing so, you looked at the time, realizing that lunch was probably going to end soon. That thought made your stomach grumble.
“Hey, let’s grab some lunch, yeah?” Dieter offered you his hand to get off the counter.
He tucked his shirt back in and put his jacket on as you smoothed your hair and checked your face in the mirror, giving yourself a quick touch-up, thanks to the endless supply of makeup at your disposal.
“So, does like everyone know?” You asked before you both left the safety of the makeup trailer.
Dieter rubbed the back of his neck, “Ah, y-yea. I think so. Is…is that ok? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable at work. I can ignore you when we’re on set if you want, but I really don’t want to do that.”
“I want to talk to Meredith first if that’s cool,” Dieter eagerly nodded. “And like, maybe we don’t like…make out in front of everyone like Indy and Sam,” you laughed. “But I don’t want to avoid you on set…I don’t think I could even if I tried.”
“Me neither. And I’m good with that.” He gave you a mischievous look. “But, since once we walk out this door, I won’t be able to do this for a while…”
He cut himself off as he brought you in for another kiss. This one gave you goosebumps with the passion and gratitude you felt from Dieter. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And honestly, it felt like a little bit had been lifted off of yours too. While there were still things you wanted to talk to him about, to share about your past, knowing how much you meant to him made your heart sing.
“You’re going to mess up my makeup and yours,” you giggled as you pulled away from him.
He rubbed a thumb across his lip. “Well, I’m lucky that you can always touch me up,” he winked.
“Oh my goodness,” you laughed, rolling your eyes. “C’mon, let’s get out there. I’m starving and if Indy doesn’t see me within the next five minutes she’s going to come in here like a tornado.”
Previous Chapter / Next Chapter
A/N: I hope you liked the little bit from Dieter’s perspective from the beginning. I realized it had been a while since we were with him like that.
As always, thank you for taking time out of your day to read my little story. With this one being my first fic ever, it’s super special to me. I appreciate all of the kind comments, reblogs, and likes …it makes my day!
Tag list: @musings-of-a-rose / @legendary-pink-dot / @bitchwitch1981 / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @gracie7209 / @amneris21 / @pastelnap / @maryfanson / @sunnywithachanceofjavi / @sin-djarin / @winchestergypsy90 / @for-a-longlongtime /@harriedandharrassed / @titlee78 / @midnightraain / @poodlebae
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pairing: sim jake x fem!reader
genres: fluff, angst, crack, best friends to lovers, mutual pining, high school au
wc: 2k
warnings: profanity, mc has mommy issues that are mentioned very briefly. i think that’s all but lmk if you want me to add smth!!
prompt: “i don’t understand why you’re acting this way.”
note: i’m sorry the title is kinda shit i cannot come up w good + relevant ones for the life of me and google was not helping BOOO but tysm for requesting anon and i hope you like the drabble!! feedback is always appreciated; i’d love to know what everything thinks :”)
dialogue prompt event
You had been avoiding Jake Sim.
Considering the fact that he was your best friend, the task was proving to be just as difficult as you had expected it to be.
Maybe even more so. He was surprisingly very clingy—something you had failed to notice in your friendship of four years.
As you turned the corner of the school library’s hallway, your eyes trained on the ground, you felt an arm being thrown around your neck.
You tensed at the contact and took a sharp breath.
“Where have you been today?” Jake questioned casually. “I’ve been searching for you everywhere. And did you buy new clothes? I’ve never seen these before. I gotta say I like this look on you.”
Damn it.
You’d thought wearing a brand-new outfit would make it easier for you to hide from him. You’d even gone as far as wearing a cap and letting your hair down so it could conceal your face. Your teachers had been on your ass for wearing the accessory all day long.
Trying to fight the blush creeping up your neck, you shrugged him off as subtly as you could and put some distance between your bodies. “I’ve been around.”
“Okay.” Jake dragged out the word. You didn’t need to glance at him to know he was frowning. “You’re coming over tonight though, right? There’s a new Riverdale episode out for us to slander. Also my mom’s making lasagne and she told me to tell you to stay over.”
There was no way you could say no to that. Subjecting yourselves to an hour of terrible screenwriting to criticise it was basically a tradition and bonding exercise for both of you.
Turning Jake down would instantly make him suspicious, which would lead to him asking questions. You were a lot of things, and being a terrible liar was one of them.
Jake was a lot of things too, and being an absolute busybody was one of them. He’d push and push and push until you told him the truth.
And you couldn’t possibly confess that you had a gigantic crush on him.
Not only would it put your relationship in jeopardy in case he didn’t reciprocate your feelings (which you were pretty sure he didn’t), but the confirmed rejection would literally tear you apart from the inside.
You’d rather pine after him and be content with being his best friend than chase after some stupid fantasy. Unfortunately, pining sucked ass, especially when the one you wanted but couldn’t have was always hanging around you.
So, you’d been trying to cut down on the time you spent with him, hoping that the distance would make your feelings disappear magically. So far, it was not working, but that didn’t mean you were going to give up.
“Um,” you began, keeping your eyes fixed on your sneakers. “I don’t think I can come over today. I have that… thing to do.”
Real fucking convincing, Y/N, you thought to yourself dismally.
“What thing?” Jake questioned, sounding taken aback. You knew he damn well knew you had no thing to do. “And look at me while we’re talking, would you?”
“I am looking at you,” you lied. “You just don’t see it because I’m wearing a cap.”
You realised your mistake a second too late.
Jake lifted the accessory from your head the moment you uttered the words. You whirled around to face him immediately, but he had already anticipated your next move.
Right as you tried to snatch the cap again, your best friend raised his arm and held it over his head.
“Hey!” you exclaimed and took a step closer. Standing on your tiptoes, you put a hand on Jake’s shoulder for support and reached up for your belonging.
He simply stretched his arm higher, making it even harder for you to get your cap back.
“Give it back!” you huffed and tugged at his wrist, unknowingly putting all your weight on him. His free arm wrapped around your waist to keep you from jumping.
“Now you’re not moving away from me?” Jake taunted you, his lips brushing the shell of your ear.
Your breath hitched in your throat, and you couldn’t help but lean back in his hold to glance at him.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he mumbled while looking down at you, your faces so close you could count his lashes and see the universe in his eyes.
You snapped yourself out of your reverie before you could do something you’d regret. Pulling yourself out of his arms, you stumbled back and averted your gaze. “I need to go.”
Not bothering for a response, you turned on your heels and hurried away. The feeling of Jake’s eyes drilling holes into the back of your head only spurred you into increasing your speed.
You let out a deep breath and collapsed into your usual seat upon entering the library. Your cheeks felt hot, and your heart was thumping so hard you were afraid it was going to jump out of your chest.
You couldn’t keep this up anymore. Your feelings were starting to get out of hand, and you were beginning to lose control.
It wouldn’t be too long until you reached your limit.
Save for the encounter near the library, you did not run into Jake again.
You were about to mentally congratulate yourself for getting through another day when someone grabbed your wrist and tugged you towards them.
One moment, you were in the crowded hallway of your school and the next, you were in an empty classroom, your best friend glowering at you.
“You scared me!” you exclaimed, your eyes wide with shock.
“You’re scaring me,” Jake countered. “What is up with you these days? I don’t understand why you’re acting this way.”
It took you a second to understand what he was referring to. Gulping, you dropped your gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You think I can’t tell you’re avoiding me?” he demanded and took a step closer, causing you to take a step back in return. “You think I don’t notice something’s wrong?”
“Everything's fine. You’re being paranoid.”
Jake laughed humourlessly. “Don’t fuck with me, Y/N.”
“I’m not,” you said as calmly as you could. “Trust me, nothing’s wrong.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then, “You’re lying,” he said quietly. “You’re not looking at me.”
Taking a deep breath, you raised your head and looked Jake in the eyes. “Everything’s fine,” you repeated.
He searched your face. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“There is nothing to tell,” you insisted, trying desperately to convince him.
“Is it something at home?” He pried further. “Is your mom checking your phone again? Did she take your laptop—”
“No—”
“I can ask my mom to talk to her, you know? I don’t like how she doesn’t trust you and keeps suffocating you all the time—”
“Stop it, Jake!” you finally burst out. “Stop sticking your nose in my business! You’re the one suffocating me right now so just back off. I’m not obligated to tell you shit!”
You regretted saying that the moment hurt flashed across Jake’s face. You opened your mouth to apologise, but he beat you to it.
“You’re right,” he muttered and averted his gaze, moving away from you. “You’re not answerable to me. I’m sorry for pushing you.”
Putting his back to you, Jake retreated to the door with slumped shoulders. You knew you had royally messed up and there was a good chance your friendship would be ruined forever if he left the classroom.
So, you decided to bite the bullet and tell the truth. Confessing couldn’t possibly do more damage than what had already been done.
“It’s you.”
Jake stopped in his tracks and turned around. He looked surprised to know that it indeed was him that was the issue. “It is?”
“Yeah,” you said, your voice cracking a bit. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
Jake nodded. “Of course. Anything.”
“I’m, uh—” you toyed with your hands, struggling to find the courage to confess— “I— I like you.”
“What?” he whispered, shell-shocked.
“I’ve been avoiding you because I’m attracted to you,” you stammered. Wetting your dry lips, you forced yourself to continue, “I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position by telling you I liked you, but every time I saw you, all I could think about was what it would be like to have you want me back. I just— I didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship by confessing. I thought my feelings would fade if I stayed away, but that didn’t work out too well. I’m sorry.”
Jake opened his mouth to reply, but closed it when nothing escaped. Looking away, he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a small chuckle under his breath.
You felt your heart drop to the bottom of your stomach. You were prepared for rejection—you were aware from the very beginning that you were going to be turned down—but you weren’t prepared for whatever this was.
“You’re laughing,” you mumbled. “You don’t believe me.”
“I don’t,” Jake confirmed. “Actually, no, wait. Let me rephrase that: I want to believe you, but I can’t.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” you demanded and crossed your arms over your chest defensively. This situation was turning out to be much worse than you had expected.
How could Jake just laugh at you? What about your confession had been funny? Did he think you were incapable of crushing on him? Did he think he was not good enough to be crushed on?
“It means,” he began, sauntering towards you, “I can’t believe I wasted weeks pining over you and holding myself back from confessing only for you to have liked me back this entire time.”
Your eyes widened and your heart skipped a beat. Your breaths started getting shallower and your legs felt like jelly. You were starting to understand what Jake meant when he said he wanted to believe you but couldn’t.
“It means I can’t believe I gaslit myself into thinking you’d never feel even an ounce of what I felt for you,” he continued. You were standing toe to toe now, your faces but a few inches away. “It means I can’t believe I tortured myself when I could have just told you the truth and done this.”
Before you could fully comprehend what Jake was saying, his hands were cupping your face and his lips were on yours.
You were frozen for a moment, unable to think, much less react. But then, your eyes fluttered close and you kissed him back.
It was everything you had imagined. Scratch that, it was so much better.
Jake tasted like chocolate and his soft lips slotted into yours perfectly. He moved them slowly, as if wanting to relish the moment you were sharing.
Grabbing the neckline of his t-shirt, you pulled him lower and tilted your neck to the side to deepen the kiss.
Jake obliged and snaked an arm around your waist, pressing your body flush against his. Cocooned in his arms, you felt at home.
But then, you always felt at home with him.
Out of breath, you detached your lips from his and whispered, “Wow.”
Jake laughed and embraced you, placing his chin on top of your head. “Yeah, I know.”
Snuggling into his chest, you mumbled, “Now what?”
“Now I ask you to be my girlfriend.”
You smiled and tipped your neck to glance at him. “And then?”
“Assuming you say yes,” he mused, earning a snort from you. “I take you out on a date.”
“And what would we do on the date?”
Jake smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Why don’t I pick you up at seven today and you find out?”
You grinned, feeling giddy at the prospect of going out on a date with your best friend turned boyfriend.
“Deal”
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