A/N: I'd just for the record like to say that this idea came to me after a long period of time consisting of mostly daydreaming. Yup. Oh, also here are some translations for people who aren't fluent/can't speak french: 'Oui' 'Yes', 'Je suis follement en amour avec vous. Dieu, je t'aime tellement! Pas comme une sœur ... plus profond..' Means I'm madly in love with you. God, I love you so much! Not like a sister... deeper..', 'Si vous voulez savoir ce que pour y il a obtenu d'être luttes' = If you want to know what it is - make it happen, 'Que je suis follement amoureux d'elle' = I'm madly in love with her, 'Je suis vraiment, dans l'amour avec elle' = I'm really in love with her, 'Épouser cette fille maintenant' = Marry this girl now, 'Volontiers' = Willingly, 'Puis-je avoir votre fille pour le reste de ma vie' = Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?, 'L'ami de Clémentine Luke aime!' = Clementine's friend Luke likes! (Too perfect, that last translation I mean.), 'Je ne parle français.' Means 'I speak french.' Kay, think I'm about done here. BYE! :) Oh, one last last thing, so I basically used google translate on the french parts and whatever so they may not be... right? Is that the word? Yeah. And I just had to get this out of my head because it's been bugging me since September.
Today was the day... I'm young, I'm stupid, and I want to marry Jane. I kept thinking to myself 'I want to marry Jane, Jane's the love of my life, you want to marry Jane, Luke!' Did I really though? Shut up Luke! Of course you want to marry Jane, she's your high school sweetheart, Luke! I'd felt kind of, different around Jane lately. Not my 'I'm madly in love with you and my heart is beating so hard I think it's going to come out of my chest' feeling either. I felt more inclined to marry Nick who I felt nothing for whatsoever then to marry Jane. Nick, Clementine, and I had been in a movie earlier where I played as Clem's boyfriend and Nick was both my best friend and hers. I sat up from my bed feeling the comforter tighten as I did so. I ran a hand through my hair and lifted off the blankets. Why again did I sleep with blankets? I felt the blistering sun hit my back shining through the window. I sat up and got dressed ready for the Premiere. I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets as I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror.
"You love Jane, You love her, don't let her down." I told myself as I heard a knock on the door. "Coming!" I shouted leaving the bathroom and opening the front door.
"You ready man?" Nick asked flashing his usual bright smile.
"Where's Jane?" I asked concerned. Not for her, but for her at the same time. I felt sad for her not being there yet at the same time I was kind of... happy?
"She's got a stomach ache, can't make it." Nick said as he changed his neutral smile to a crooked one. "Limo's waitin' outside." I nodded and we headed out.
Nick and I started down the premiere rug a red rope separating the reporters from the cast members. We walked past so many reporters and were about to walk off the carpet when we heard one shout both our names.
"NICHOLAS, LUCAS!" we both glanced at each other then turned around and walked towards the reporter that had called our names.
"So what do you think about this movie?" she asked. The girl had brown hair that was quite short and wore a pinkish vest over a white shirt.
"I uh, I think it's great, it's got a great fanbase, loyal and all that so..." Nicholas said gesturing me to pick up where he'd left off.
"I think it'll really get a lot of support, and the story, like the physical book copy has so many fans already that at least 3,000 people will show up. AT LEAST." I said smiling a half smile which Nick called a 'crooked smile'.
"So could I continue this interview later on too? Like after the premiere?" she asked. Nick and I exchanged glances then looked back and nodded. I felt a small tug on my jacket sleeve and looked down to see a small kid, maybe 9 years old. He had brown hair and was wearing a plaid throw over shirt. The boy didn't say anything just pointed making me look over to what he was pointing at. There in the middle of the carpet behind us was Clementine.
"Sorry," I said not explaining as I ran away from the reporter and Nick towards Clementine.
"I missed you so much." I said burying my head into her shoulder. I kind of had to look down because she was slightly shorter then me by like, 5 inches. I felt my heart begin to speed up. The hell? I pulled away knowing she could probably hear how fast my heart was going because we had this kind of height combo where she was the perfect height so when we hugged she could kind of hear my heart beating. I felt my face burn a pinkish color and looked away.
"Luke, are you okay?" she asked. I looked back over to her. Did she not hear?
"I- I'm good. A lot better now that you showed up." I said smiling at her. She smiled back a shook her head at me.
"I missed you too." she said pulling me into another hug. I felt her rub my back with her hands. God could she give a massage. I, urgh... don't do it Luke, don't fucking screw this up for yourself! I thought to myself clenching my teeth. What was up with me today? Was it Clementine? I mean I'd seen her like a million other times and never felt heart start to speed up again. I heard her chuckle as she pulled away from me.
"What?" I asked smiling.
"Your heartbeat, that's what." I felt my face burn red. "It's going like a million miles an hour." she said smirking.
"I- I'm just excited that you're here. I- I mean I haven't seen you in about 6 months." I said looking down at my feet.
"MAKE OUT!" me and Clem darted our heads towards Nick who was shouting at us. I gave him a look that said it for me. 'Really?' he laughed and turned back towards the reporter who instantly began cracking up with him.
"Care to walk with me to that asshole Nick?" I asked smiling as I felt a tingling sensation rise up in my stomach when she grabbed on to my arm.
"Gladly." she said shining that gorgeous smile of hers.
"Hey, asshole." I said smiling at Nick with a sickie-sweet smile.
"Don't let it get to ya Luke. T'was a joke." he said as he smiled that one smile he had that literally made every girl in Hollywood squeal like a young girl getting the gift she always had dreamed of. Clementine's face turned a pinkish color and she looked away.
"Too much for you Clem?" Nick asked grinning.
"Not really I actually li-" Clementine stopped there as I felt my stomach begin to flutter and tingle again. I felt her hand slip off my arm and looked over to her. After what seemed like forever of me saying 'KEEP TALKING I MUST KNOW WHAT YOU WERE SAYING!' to myself in my thoughts the interviewer spoke up again.
"Well, see you guys after the premiere." she said. I nodded and we all silently began towards the building
During the premiere Clementine laid her head against my chest and sort of cuddled up to me. Fuck off! I told my suddenly speedy heartbeat. She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. I swallowed even though my throat did NOT want to close.
"This beat keeps going on, and on, and on, and on, and on." she whispered.
"Huh?" Nick asked looking over to us. Clementine took her head off my chest.
"Listen to his heart real quick." she told him. A huge grin appeared on Nick's face as he squinted at me. I rolled my eyes and my heart seemed to stop racing. Nick put his head above my heart and waited a bit before pulling away.
"What was I supposed to hear now?" he asked raising an eyebrow to Clementine. She squinted at him and put her head on my chest again.
"It's still there, liar.."
"What's there?" he asked.
"Lay your head on his chest now." she said partially scooting her head over.
"Luke man, what's up with that speeding heartbeat suddenly?" he asked looking up at me.
"Can we all please just shut up?" I asked feeling my face burn red with embarrassment and anger.
"Fine." he said lifting up his arms to show, defeat I guess as Clementine laid her head back on my chest. I was internally smiling like an idiot as she did so though. My mind kept flashing back to when we were on the set of our movie '4 Seconds of Something Else'. That first kiss. I remember it way too well. Each year this company called 'ILDSM!' produced a new movie in the series '(Insert whatever number movie it is here) Seconds of Something Else' and it basically consists of a bunch of different people getting their hearts broken in different ways... Yup. And the main character's life is completely involved in the movie like Clementine's character Lilith's friends were in it Nick got casted as one of 'em. I met Clementine there and we instantly connected when we met. I was supposed to be her boyfriend kind of, and she was my acting on screen girlfriend. We were in real life and still are, best friends. I remember in the interviews when the movie was work in progress all the times when the person interviewing me would be like ''What's your relationship between Clementine and you?'' and I'd be like "We're just friends, she's like my little sister." but in my mind I'd be like 'This love, (sister-brother) is only getting stronger,' and I'd be wanting to tell them that she was mine, like we actually were boyfriend and girlfriend but I couldn't because we had a clearly brother-sister relationship and I just didn't feel that way about her. Then I remembered all the times off set when we'd be like hanging out in the park on a picnic blanket together with a picnic basket having lunch and she'd be like 'I love you' and I'd be like 'I love you' and we both knew it to be love of a friendship. Now though, it all hit me. Why I'd felt my heartbeat increase all the times we'd hugged today, I mean my heart was still beating extremely fast, even right now when she was just kind of resting her head on my chest. I, myself, have a crush on a co-star. WHAT THE FUCK WAS WRONG WITH ME!? I've got a girlfriend, a soon to be Fiance and here I am head over heels crushing on a girl who probably thought of me as nothing besides a co-star or brother. I face palmed, like in real life I raised my hand and hit my face with it. I heard a chuckle and looked down to see Clementine giving me a look like 'What are you doing?' I smiled a crooked smile and shrugged, she smiled back at put a hand on my shoulder as she cuddled up to me again. I looked up at the screen and saw it was the scene in which Clementine's character 'Lilith' and my character 'Tobias' are um, on the bed and making out and then I gently ride my hand up the back of Clementine's shirt and begin to take it off of her as she stays pinning me against the bed making out with me and ruffling my hair up. I felt like the picture of the person in that movie like literally, he wasn't even me. Then it flashed through my mind again. 'I love you.' then I'd smile. 'I love you.' I'd reply then she'd cuddle into my side as we watched the sun go down and she'd always have this sort of, I don't know what word I'm looking for here... surprise when we went on a picnic. This one time though when she hadn't there was a couple who walked over to us and were like "The beautiful couple is beautiful.'' and they handed us a bottle of champagne which tasted like shooting stars and bubbles and at the time me and Clementine had just laughed off the fact that they were like "Le beautiful couple is beautiful" because we weren't a couple and I don't think either of us felt like that about the other or anything really. If only the press knew about the I love you's they'd forget this thing that was going on between me and Jane, and Clementine and this guy, what was his name... oh yeah! A real guy named Tobias who Nick kept saying looked like me but to me he honestly didn't. Anyways the press would've forgotten about it all. Then I went back to the I love you's. "I love you," one of us would say originally and then the press would be all like "THE SHIP IS COMING TRUE GUYS! CLUKE IS A THING!" so we changed it to when one of us was like "I love you" the other would ask "Like sister like brother?" and the one being asked this would say "Like sister like brother." uh, sorry. Too much rambling of my thoughts. Anyways when we finished I headed towards the cast member rooms after being questioned by several reporters that had pulled me away from walking with my friends Nick and Clementine. After I finished I headed back towards the rooms. Once I got in I collapsed on a chair and ran a hand through my hair.
"Dude, just keep your cool for the night and stop with your usual flirtyness that you do with your regular friends because that's gonna screw up your vibe and shit." I told myself looking into my own eyes in a mirror. "Then you won't have to see her for the next two months." I added. Then there was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in!" I shouted towards the door. Clementine walked in and gently closed the door behind her. I stared at her expecting for her to say something but she didn't for awhile.
"Are you alright?" she asked me frowning slightly.
"Honestly?" I asked. She nodded gesturing for me to continue. "No." I said looking down at my lap feeling my throat stiffen as I heard my voice unable to go on. I said that one simple word. I felt something warm on my knee and looked up to see Clementine's hand on my knee as she sat down on the floor next to me. I felt a little guilty sitting in a chair so I stood up and sat next to her. She smiled but soon turned back to neutral.
"Tell me about it." she said concerned. I shook my head 'no' suddenly oddly feeling sorry for myself kind of.
"Pleaaaaaaase?" she asked giving me puppy eyes.
"No need for a guilt trip kid," I said smiling.
"I'm not a kid Luke," she said frowning at me.
"Maybe after the interview? Oui?" I asked.
"I love it when you speak french to me." she said laughing. I laughed too. "Oui." she replied as we heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." she called before I had the chance.
"Oh, hey... Clem?" Nick said raising an eyebrow.
"Luke's feeling sorry for himself so I came to cheer him up." she said rolling her eyes at Nick.
"I bet." he said grinning. These jokes Nick made about how I had a crush on her annoyed me to hell. Because I didn'- Because when he started them I didn't.
"Ms. Reporter woman said she would like to pick up the interview again." he said pulling us both to our feet.
We got to the interview place that was kind of like a 'behind the scenes' set. There were a few other characters from the movie there besides Clementine, Nick and I. There was Ansel Smith, Hunter Jackson, Macy Tyrone, Nikki Summers, and Sarah Indies. Most of them were Clementine's friends in the game but a few like Ansel and Nikki were my friends in the movie. Why were all of them here though?
"Okay so I had an idea..." the reporter said smiling as the three of us took our seats. "What if we played 'wed, bed, dead'?" she asked. Ansel and Nikki exchanged looks along with Hunter, Clementine and Sarah. They all seemed pretty cool with it though.
"And the only people in it will be the names of the people here." she added which was when a lot of us tensed up, me especially.
"Alright, who would you guys wed, bed, and dead out of Nick VI, Nick waved to the camera, Ansel Smith, and Sarah Indies?" she asked holding up a index card as the other two waved also. Then we each took a chance to tell EVERYONE on set who we'd go with for each category. I kind of chickened out.
"I, I can't really choose because I love all of them." I said smiling that crooked smile of mine.
"Oh come on!" I heard Clementine say. I grinned at her comment.
"Alright fine, Wed would be uh," I thought hard trying to figure out which one would be the least annoying. "Wed would be Nick 'cause he's my best friend so it wouldn't really feel like more then friendship. And why not go threesome on the bed one?" I said smiling. We moved on to the next one.
"Wed, Bed, and dead. Macy, Nikki and Clementine." the reporter said. Hunter chuckled and sort of whispered but not really to Ansel. "My dream," he said. Ansel smiled "Except for the kill part, ya know? Like I hate Macy but not that much." he commented. Macy frowned hearing his comment, it was no secret 'round the set that she had a crush on him. The only people who didn't know were himself and Ansel.
"Nikki for bed, Clem for wed and... I'm sorry Macy, but Macy for dead." Hunter said and pursed his lips. After Sarah, Clem, Nick, and the rest (including me) answered.
"WBD, Luke FREVR (an abbreviation of my super long lastname), Hunter, and the director who isn't currently here but still." the responses were rushed through until it got to Clementine's where I listened on the edge of my seat to.
"I think I'd have to agree with Luke's response." she said smiling at me. I thought back. What did I say? I felt my face burn red as what I said appeared back in my thoughts, I had always hesitated on who I'd choose for each of them but when Clem's name popped up I immediately spoke these next few words.
' "Wed Clementine. And uh..." ' and then I sat there thinking about the other two for awhile. That's what I had said though. I smiled sheepishly at her then looked back down at my lap. The reporter, Carley was her name I think. The reporter Carley grinned.
"Tell me what it was that he said again?" she asked.
"He said he'd wed me. I've gotta wed him back out of all the choices." Clementine repeated as if it were nothing. I felt my face burn red, part of being an actor is not getting embarrassed easily. And honestly I must say that was a weak point for me. Majorly. Although, I was good an un-embarrassing myself rather quickly.
"The other people?" Carley asked.
"Bed..." Clementine's smile was crooked as she looked off into the distance. I knew I wasn't up for this one because she had already used my name so I kind of just leaned back pretending like I wasn't listening to what I was up against even though I really was.
"I don't wanna bed Hunter because he's a royal douche."
"HEY!" he shouted smiling at her. Clementine smiled back, more drama to include everyone knew Hunter kind of had a major crush on Clementine. He was just better at not quite showing those emotions. Of course it ate me up inside that she knew he had a crush on her and she teased him because of it.
"I'd bed that suckish director because Hunter isn't good enough for me." Clementine said grinning.
"So you'd dead me?" Hunter asked with puppy eyes.
"Just to spite you? Yes." Clementine said with a sickie sweet smile that even I couldn't handle. Hunter clenched his teeth and looked away from the sweetness of it while I'm over here like 'Marry me now.' Yup, okay I have a crush on her, it's official.
"So wait back to Luke, what did you say when it was Clementine's turn?" The reporter asked me. I felt my face heat up as all the cast member's eyes fell on me.
"I- uh." Clementine raised an eyebrow. I cleared my throat. "I said I'd wed Clementine, and bed the rest of them because I don't like killing people, even when I know it's just a game." I explained.
"Uh-huh." she said squinting at me. "Okay, that's pretty much all I wanted to cover so um, yeah." she said.
"Alright well it was nice to meet you," Nick said smiling.
"Yeah, it was great" Hunter replied as did everyone else. I quickly exited and went back to my room pulling out my phone.
"Jane, fuck me... I uh, I gotta..."
"Break up with you." she replied.
"Huh?" I asked.
"I've got to break up with you." she said. "I realized that I don't actually like you like that anymore, it was fun while it lasted but yeah."
"You forgot the part where I say I'm in love with someone else too." I reminded.
"Oh yeah and I'm in lo-" she paused. I could see her squinting now. "How did you know what I was going to say?" she asked.
"I was calling for the same reason." I replied.
"Oh, well, GREAT! Can we still be friends?" I heard her ask.
"Yeah."
"Bye." she said.
"Bye!" I replied as I heard a knock on the door and quickly hung up so I could answer it.
"Yeah?" I shouted. Clementine walked in pouting her arms crossed. I felt my heart beat quicken. AGAIN.
"What?" I asked.
"You said you were going to tell me what was up with you, you even made me agree in french." She explained. I let out a large sigh as I took a seat in a paisley chair in the corner because I knew I wasn't getting out of this and bit my lip.
"Oh my god..." I heard her say under her breath as she leaned back against the door legs crossed along with her arms.
"What?" I asked having a hard time saying the simplest words.
"Just... nothing." she said letting out a low sigh. "Just talk, and don't bite your lip, or do anything else attractive." she said. I felt a grin spread across my face.
"What? Repeat that last part please." I said still grinning, I watched her face turn red as she looked away.
"JUST TALK!" She shouted. I stayed silent.
"Oh my god, Luke! Talk! Like actual words!" She said irritated. I stayed silent still yet. "LUKE!" She shouted.
"Was there a reason you said you'd wed me back there?" I asked still smiling.
"No- I mean yes but not like- LUKE STOP TWISTING MY WORDS!" She said extremely mad now. It went silent.
"Ya know you look real cute when you're mad." I let slip out 'Accidentally'
"Huh?" She said looking back at me. "Luke stop being flirty and answer my question!" She repeated.
"Why? You've always seemed to like that slightly flirty aspect of me before." I said frowning as I brought out puppy eyes.
"LUKE WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!"
"I dunno. What did you just say?" I asked.
"Don't do... urm... that!" I listened as she squeezed out the last few words.
"Define 'that'" I said smirking.
"Puppy eyes, biting your lip, Ya know what?" She asked finally.
"What?" I replied not knowing there were so many things she liked about me. I mean I knew there were a lot of things she liked about me, just not LIKED liked about me.
"Don't talk either," I gave her a funny look a sheepish smile on my face, I could tell.
"Je suis follement en amour avec vous. Dieu, je t'aime tellement! Pas comme une sœur ... plus profond.." I said just to make her mad. I knew she didn't know French well enough to know what I said which was why I said it in French. Although if she did I wasn't sure she would get what I was saying either though, my French was so shabby from all the years of not using it. Like, ever.
"Hey douche, translation?" She asked. I chuckled.
"I just answered your question." I replied.
"In French, Yeah. I need it in English." She said frowning.
"Si vous voulez savoir ce que pour y il a obtenu d'être luttes." I said as I watched a glare appear from her eyes. "If you want to know what it is make it happen." I explained. "Bring Nick in here, we went ta French class together when we were younger. He can translate." I said. Clementine nodded and headed out the door to find him. As soon as the door closed I started laughing at her lack of French vocabulary. A few minutes later Nick appeared back with Clementine.
"Now talk." Clementine demanded.
"What'd ya want me to translate for her dude?" Nick asked me confused. I felt my face go red.
"Que je suis follement amoureux d'elle" I said staring right at Clementine the whole time. I looked up and saw Nick wide eyed staring at me.
"Je suis vraiment, dans l'amour avec elle." I said. Nick's eyes were huge and he spoke softly, almost a whisper, but he DID speak.
"Épouser cette fille maintenant." He said plainly. I looked up at him surprised.
"Volontiers." I replied
"Nick, I brought you in here to translate, not chit chat. Now translate!" Clementine butted in.
"May I call your dad for a second?" Nick asked still dazed sounding. Clementine squinted at him before handing him her phone in which he called her father then handed the phone to me.
"Hello, um-" I scratched the back of my neck nervously. "Puis-je avoir votre fille pour le reste de ma vie?" I asked while crossing my fingers. C'mon, say yes. Say yes.
"Is this Luke? Like Clementine's friend Luke?" Her father asked.
"Yeah," I said slightly chuckling being able to tell that my face was red without even looking into a mirror.
"Oui." I heard him say then the phone was thrown down and a shuffling running noise echoed through the other line. 'L'ami de Clementine, Luke Luke est en amour avec notre fille!' I heard Clementine's father shout, then be replied to by a fairly soft voice saying 'Honey, as much as I love it when you speak French, I can't understand a word you're saying.' which was followed by 'LUKE, CLEMENTINE'S FRIEND, LUKE IS-' I hung up quickly not wanting for Clementine to find out this way.
"WELL?" She asked irritated.
"Nick, can ya give us a moment?" I asked. Nick frowned but left. I watched as he 'accidentally' left his phone recording the event.
"Clementine." I said my breath getting heavy. "Je t'aime." I said laughing as I broke the steam that caused her to blush.
"What does that mean even?!" She asked. I smiled.
"I love you." I said.
"Like brother to brother?"
"Like lover to lover." I answered. She blushed and stared at me wide eyed. I couldn't tell if I hecked up or what.
"Luke, I-" I broke the 'ROMANCE' again and pushed off of the wall that I was leaning against so I could look down at her.
"If your parents know french why don't you?" I asked suddenly, curious really.
"Je ne parle français." She said slyly meaning 'I speak french.' I felt my face go deep red.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU PUT ME THROUGH ALL OF THAT BEFORE THEN?!" I nearly snapped at her.
"I wanted to see how far you'd go with this." She replied grinning. "And yes. You can have his daughter for the rest of your life, AND mine." She finished.
"I- uh- Clem I-"
"How long have you had a crush on me by the way?" I heard her ask. I felt myself blush harder.
"Uhm since like- we- I mean- Uh..." She chuckled which made me blush even harder. "Remember when you heard my heartbeatin' a million miles an hour that first time at the beginning of the premier?" I asked.