Hi everybody! Just a disclaimer, I do not own any of the characters from Smash. If I did, Ivy would be the main focus, because that's how it should be!
I wrote this for my darling friend's birthday. Happy birthday dearheart! 3
It's two weeks after the Tony's. New York City, in its own way, is relatively calm. No angry diva storms her way down Broadway, there's just the regular roar in the city that never sleeps.
Bombshell's Marilyn strolls through the streets on the arm of Hit List's director, she kisses him on the cheek as they stop in front of Bombshell's door.
"See you later tonight after the show." Ivy says.
"I'll see you at home." Derek says. She smiles at that. He kisses her pink lips once, twice. She lightly pushes him away with a laugh.
"Let me go to work."
"You're the boss."
"And don't you forget it." He steals one more kiss from her before she walks into her theater. He stops for coffee before going into Hit List, Karen's waiting for him in the auditorium.
"Your coffee." He says, handing her one of his Starbucks paper cups, she takes it, obvious confusion playing over her face.
"Um, thanks?" He sees her look.
"What?"
"That was very considerate of you." She says simply, taking a sip of her coffee. It's not at all how she takes it, it hasn't any creamer or sugar, but she suppresses her initial gag reflex. She manages another sip, Derek smiles ruefully.
"It's not right, is it?" He asks.
"No." She answers truthfully.
"I didn't remember how you liked coffee." She nods, and absentmindedly takes another sip, making a face this time. He chuckles and starts to walk toward the stage.
"Hey, where're you going?" She calls after him.
"Ana said one of her scenes wasn't quite working." He says as explanation. Karen sits back as Ana and Derek work onstage, occasionally sipping her coffee until she's called onstage.
"You're really calm, what's wrong?" Karen asks Derek. It's a few minutes till curtain, and Derek hasn't shouted or gotten frustrated even once. It's a miracle.
"Everything's right, that's all." Derek says, she gives him her 'spill it' look.
"Things with Ivy are going really well." He confesses, trying and failing to suppress the little smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Someone's in looovvveee." She singsongs.
"You're being childish." He says, though not denying anything. Karen just smiles. She's called to the stage.
"Break a leg." Derek says.
"Thanks."
She walks to her place on stage, takes a deep breath, as she does every time. The curtain rises.
It's late by the time Derek comes home to his apartment, Ivy is already sitting there in bed and on the phone.
"Yeah, ok Mom. Yeah, I will. See you tomorrow." She's saying as he walks in. He smiles as he sees her.
"Hi." He says, leaning halfway over the bed to give her a kiss.
"Hi. You're home." She says as he pulls back.
"Yeah, sorry I'm late. I brought you this." He says, handing her soup from her favorite restaurant.
"Thanks Derek. But you know, I'm pregnant, not sick."
"I know that." He says, sitting on the bed and taking off his shoes.
"I just thought you might be craving food, and that soup is healthy."
"It's not ice cream, but I suppose it'll do."
"Picky tonight, are we?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow at her. She just takes a spoonful of soup. When he's finished getting ready for bed, she's already finished.
"I was hungrier than I thought." He chuckles as he slips under the covers next to her.
"How are you?" He asks, his arm wrapping around her waist.
"A little frazzled, my mom keeps noticing I'm getting bigger. She just called me to give me a workout she thought would help." She says with a groan.
"Are you going to tell her?" He asks.
"I don't know. This is still a lot to take in, even now. What we have right now is working, and I don't want to do anything that would rock the boat." She says, her hand playing with Derek's hair.
"Through all we've been through Ivy, we always come back to each other. I'm not saying we're fated or anything, but I am saying that I'm going to work for this. I'm going to work for us." Ivy sinks down, so she's facing him.
"Ok. Me too." He kisses her.
"We're going to be fine." Then he scoots down to kiss her stomach, making her laugh at the tickling sensation.
"And you are going to be amazing, little one." He says sincerely, kissing her stomach once more before wrapping his arms around Ivy. It's quiet and dark in the room, Derek feels comfortably drowsy, till-
"Are we going to sleep?" Ivy asks, a hint of a pout in her tone.
"Do you have something else in mind?" Derek asks, she grins sensually.
"Well..." She stretches, her body arching into his. It's skillfully done, and he catches her intentions immediately. He kisses her enthusiastically. And kisses her. And kisses her. She kisses him back. Much, much later, they sleep.
The morning sun shines its rays through the windows of Eileen Rand's office. She's already in her chair and staring out at the city, bored. Bombshell is still incredibly successful, and her Tony is twinkling in the sunlight, but she misses some of the challenges Bombshell gave her. They kept her on her toes, and she enjoyed being busy. She picks up her phone and calls a very familiar number.
"Hello Julia. How would you like to make a new musical?"
Julia Houston bursts through Tom's door, letting herself in with the key he half regrets giving her. It's been a while since they lived together, but she still kept the key, and she uses it often when inspired to brainstorm. Which happens at the most inconvenient times. Like when Tom's sleeping, or showering, or in the middle of a date. Most inconvenient.
"Tom," Julia whispers, poking him in the shoulder. He doesn't respond.
"Tom, get up." She says, louder this time. He still doesn't budge.
"Tom!" She says, picking up the pillow next to him and whacking him with it.
"What Julia?! What could possibly be so important that it would force you to wake me up at this ungodly hour!?"
"It's ten."
"And it's still ungodly." He says grumpily, she gives him a look.
"Eileen called me today. She wants to make another musical. With us!" Julia squeals excitedly, a smile practically splitting her face. Tom wakes up immediately.
"Really? That's fantastic!" He says, then he sobers. "What about Patrick?"
"We could do both?" Julia asks, biting her bottom lip in excitement.
"Yeah right." He says skeptically. "You could barely handle Bombshell and Hit List at once, and Bombshell was basically done."
"But Patrick said movies, not musical movies. We wouldn't have to write as much."
"You're reaching for the stars." Tom says.
"But where better to reach?" She asks, her expression is all hope mixed with begging.
"He hasn't even called us yet. Oh, please Tom? Please, please, please?" She asks, her hands clasped together as she pleads with him.
"Ugh, I'll think about it. When I've woken up properly. What kind of musical do you have in mind?"
"Remember that original story I wrote a couple years back?"
"The two heroines who arrive in New York, and one makes her dreams while the other doesn't and the struggles with both those lives?"
"Yes, that's the one."
"I always loved that story." He snaps his fingers.
"And I already have the perfect people for the leads in my mind."
"Are you thinking of who I'm thinking of ?" Julia asks, a smile wide across her face. Tom nods, a matching grin.
"I think so. But how will we ever get Ivy and Karen to work together?"
