Prompt: Please please please write an AU where aymitch is this really famous actor and Effie is his wife/girlfriend and aymitch has to do a sex scene with some other actress in his latest movie and effie's like SO jealous and possessive even though she knows its just work. I'd be so happy if you do it! Love you + all your writings 😍
This Is Acting
Effie shouldn't be on set.
She knows it, the cameramen know it, the director knows it, the assistants know it… Everyone knows it. And everyone is shooting her looks that range from curious to worried to hopeful.
She's known for her professionalism after all but she's also known to make legendary scenes from time to time. She can afford it. She's one of the most bankable actresses in Hollywood at the moment. Her name on a billing board is as close as it gets to guaranteeing a success in this day and age.
Accidentally, so do her costars', which is why this movie is so important and why Cressida, the director, is shooting her warning looks from where she's talking with Plutarch Heavensbee. She flashes back a small innocent smile, grabs the latte that Lavinia has been holding for her all this time and dismisses her PA with a vague wave of her hand.
Then, she strides across the backstage area of the set – made to resemble a very familiar bedroom given that she has shot a lot of scenes in it herself – and heads to the corner where the stars' chairs are laid. She bypasses hers and sits down on Haymitch's, stealing his abandoned sweater while she is at it.
It's not that chilly.
But she's making a point.
Haymitch Abernathy, Hollywood bad boy extraordinary who only makes a movie every five years when the script really grips him – who made so much money in his youth, he can actually afford to be picky about what he does – doesn't even glance at her. She's learn quickly that Haymitch will be drunk as a skunk every time he gets the chance but, on set, he's actually invested. She was surprised by how much she loved working with him. She thought it would be a nightmare.
And it was at first, she supposed. They argued all the time, criticized each other's techniques and intents, accused each other of sabotaging the movie… Cressida was ready to tear her hair off by the time they accidentally kissed – and then fucked and then never stopped because it is so good the memory of it is enough to make her toes curl.
Not that it is a romance or a love story or anything like that.
It is just sex. A lot of really, really good sex. Sex that has connected them like she has rarely felt connected to another costar before. Sex that makes them so brilliant together they reduced the whole set in tears more than once during some of the heaviest scenes in the movie.
They are brilliant together.
Which is why she hates the fact that the third name supposed to make this movie an immediate success is Viola Summercket's. Or maybe it's just the woman Effie hates, the constant rivalry between them, the fact that Viola can never be civil and just has to rub Effie's nose in the Oscars she didn't get or that one terrible movie she did when she was too young to know better. Or the fact that Haymitch is supposed to shoot a sex scene with her today.
She's known all along it would be coming.
And she knows she shouldn't be here because it's her day off and it's weird for her to be here and the set is supposed to be on restricted access only today and she's shot enough sex scenes herself to know it's ridiculous to be jealous of something that will be very clinical and awkward anyway. Not that she's jealous. She doesn't have any right to be jealous. They're not an item.
And yet the sight of Haymitch sitting on that bed, bare-chested, sheets pooled on his lap to hide what he isn't wearing underneath, nodding at whatever last directions Pollux is giving him is enough to make her blood boil. Or maybe it's the fact that Viola is so nonchalantly sprawled next to him, completely naked.
There are no rules to sex scenes. Some directors ask for nudity, some actors prefer to wear covers in strategic places… Cressida asked them before the first day of shooting how they wanted to do it so she could prepare for it. Effie remembered it very well because Haymitch had simply shrugged, Viola had snorted that she didn't care and Effie had felt forced to follow suit despite the fact that she usually preferred nude g-strings or at least nipple covers for that sort of shoots. Nothing explicit would make it on screen anyway though. It would all be very artful.
Shooting her own sex scene was a nightmare. She was so uncomfortable at first… Even with Haymitch trying to coax her to her usual acting level… Even with him trying to put her at ease… Even with him full point and despite the fact they have done the real thing more times than she can count by now… There is nothing sexy or arousing to shooting a sex scene. Not with so many cameras zooming in on you or so many people ogling you with a professional eye – judging you.
"Alright!" Cressida's voice booms out over the set and everyone falls quiet. Effie clenches her cup of coffee harder than necessary. "Okay, people, you all know what you have to do. Viola, Haymitch, I don't want to have to do too many takes. You know what I want. This is the first time for your characters, Haymitch you've been attracted to her from the start but you're in love with Effie's character…"
"Tired of vanilla sex." Viola jokes, tossing a smug look in Effie's direction. "Can't be that hard to imagine…"
Effie's jaw clenches but she refuses to take the bait and simply takes an indifferent sip of her latte.
"Don't worry about my sex life, sweetheart." Haymitch growls back. "Can guarantee it's better than whatever producer you're screwing these days."
The corner of Effie's lips perk up.
"Just wait for the movie to come out and we will see who looks better." Viola flippantly replies, still sprawled on that bed like she's right at home being naked in front of dozens of people. Then again…
"Don't need to." Haymitch dismisses.
For the first time since she's decided to sneak in, Effie relaxes.
"That's not the mood I want." Cressida chides them. "At all. I want passionate not angry sex. Try to act like you genuinely like each other." The director tosses Haymitch a pointed look because it must have been the hundredth time she makes that particular remark to him. He doesn't get along with Viola any more than he used to get along with Effie. "Do what feels right but I want you on the bed. There will be close shots on your faces, Haymitch do it whatever way you want but I want your hand going up her stomach at some point… Any questions?"
"Nope." Haymitch sighs, catching one of the pillows an assistants tosses him and hiding it under the sheets.
"Okay. Silence on set." Cressida calls, waiting a second for everyone to settle down and the actors to get on position. Meaning Haymitch on top of Viola, the sheets artfully draped over them to cover the right parts, his hands on her thighs… "Rolling… And… Action!"
Effie knows the pillow went between their legs, hidden from view, so that he won't actually be touching her with all the thrusting he's doing but she still can't help herself from feeling nauseated. She knows it's all acting but for all her grievances against Viola, they are both terrific actors. The way Viola moans… The way Haymitch kisses the column of her throat… The way he suddenly grabs her chin… The long look they share before he properly kisses her… The way his hand slowly travels up her stomach to her breast…
Stupid tears prick her eyes by the time Cressida calls the cut and Haymitch rolls off Viola with an annoyed pout. Make-up artists rush in to correct the make-up and he subjects himself to it, barely listening to what the director is saying…
Somehow, his grey eyes find hers and Effie takes a deep breath, offers an encouraging smile… She knows he's not any fonder of sex scenes than she is. Cressida will make it look artistic, she has no doubt, but he's been in his share of bad movies in his younger years and there are some that simply looks voyeuristic…
They move the cameras and do the take again. Viola arches her back when he touches her breasts this time… Cressida cuts before they go much further. The moan wasn't very good and Effie agrees. Too loud. Too porny.
They start again.
In all, they do it five times.
When they did theirs, Effie and Haymitch had to do more than ten takes. Mostly because she always got flustered every time he put his face between her breasts. It was too reminiscent of what they did in the privacy of their bedrooms and there were too many people around. Cressida was forced to reduce the set to the minimum of staff for them to finally finish though the results were apparently worth it.
She's certain Viola won't let her hear the end of it.
"Ten minutes break then we shoot the next scene." Cressida calls.
Immediately, there's a flutter on set. Viola's PA rushes to offer her a cream colored silk robe that Viola slips on but doesn't bother to properly close. Effie suspects Viola loves strutting around half-naked because she loves the hungry eyes following her. Haymitch, on the other hand, firmly knots the blue silk robe he's handed before making his way to her.
"Thought you were going shopping this morning?" he challenges.
She purses her lips, discards the long finished cup of coffee at the foot of his chair for the cleaning staff to dispatch later, makes a show of crossing her legs… She's gratified when his gaze tracks the move and she's even more satisfied when he licks his lips and drops down on the empty chair next to her… Her chair, in effect. It's stupid but she likes her name at his back.
"And pass on an occasion to see the master at work?" she mocks. "You keep telling me I need to work on my technique…"
He watches her in a way that tells her he knows better. "You know it's all pretend…"
The tone is chiding but a little pleased too and she clenches her jaw hard, averts her eyes…
"Is it, though?" Viola laughs, joining them by taking the third chair – her chair to be fair – a pasty in hand. "I felt you through the pillow. Did you get a little hot and bothered back there, Haymitch?"
Haymitch's face remains blank. "Sorry, sweetheart. Natural state of things, I'm afraid."
Effie darts a quick glance at his lap but finds nothing amiss and she decides Viola is just trying to start troubles. In all her years of working in that business, she's yet to know anyone who gets aroused during sex scenes – even the most despicable male actors she's been made to share a poster with.
But Haymitch isn't exactly average down there and it's possible Viola felt him despite the pillow.
"If that's your story…" Viola taunts, taking a bite of her pasty.
Haymitch stands up and outstretches a hand that Effie takes through the force of habit. He lets go once she's on her feet but she follows him to the buffet in the corner anyway. It's quiet there, nobody but Viola seems to have built an appetite yet. Haymitch barely glances at the pastries and orange juice pitchers at all.
"Don't need to say I wouldn't get it up for her even if we weren't surrounded by cameras, yeah?" he attacks immediately.
Is that what she was scared of? What pushed her to come here instead of enjoying herself in shops like she intended to when he left her bed that morning? That Viola would somehow entice him into sleeping with her too? That he would…
The thought is ridiculous all of a sudden.
"No." she answers calmly, taking a step so she's standing very much in his space. He glances around because he's paranoid about word of this getting out – paparazzi cost him everything once upon a time – but nobody is paying attention, too used to their antics by now. He relaxes and lifts an eyebrow, his mouth twitching into a smirk. "You did seem to enjoy fondling her breasts though."
"They're fake." he tells her.
She knows. Everybody knows even if Viola likes to claim otherwise.
"So?" she challenges.
"I like them real." He purposefully looks down at her cleavage and playfully tugs the borrowed sweater shut over her dress. He has yet to comment on the fact she stole his favorite woolen jacket. "Don't give me a boner now, Princess. I still have to shoot the after sex scene."
She tilts her head to the side, amused for the first time since she's stepped on set. "Are you doing what I told you to do?"
They are going to shoot him naked for the next scene – well, his back only, of course, but, still, his butt will be on display – and she advised him to do some clenching before the take so his ass would look firmer…
"Do you think I need to?" He snorts.
"Well…" she hums.
His chuckles are a welcomed surprise because he so rarely laughs. "You came here to ruin my game, sweetheart?"
There's a real question underneath. Why did she come here today of all days?
"Do you want to have dinner tonight?" she asks impulsively.
They don't have dinner. They don't plan for sex either. Sex happens when one of them knocks on the other's trailer door or when they start arguing in an elevator or when, like last night, he shows up at her house unexpected with a vague excuse about learning lines together.
He takes a moment longer to answer than she likes and when he finally does answer, it looks reluctant, as if the whole thing is a huge mistake. "Not in a public place."
A part of her is disappointed but the biggest part knows better. She's not sure she's ready for the press to start meddling in her love life again either. The whole debacle with Seneca was enough for her.
"I could order us something." she insists. "You could bring wine."
"Sounds like a date." he comments.
"Alright, people!" Cressida calls in her speaker cone. "Back on set!"
There's a frenzy of agitation around them suddenly but Effie doesn't want to leave the conversation there.
"It doesn't have to be." she replies. "Bring your script. We can rehearse. We start shooting on location next week…"
Which will mean hotel rooms and more space to breathe from the press but she's not voicing that out…
Cressida is getting impatient because Viola is already back on set to get her make-up fixed but Haymitch is still standing next to the buffet without an apparent care in the world. Effie ignores the director too. He hasn't said yes or no yet.
"Don't order. I can cook for you." he says suddenly, a little hesitantly. "Ain't a chef or anything but I can do some stuff."
Surprise passes on her face before she can school her features. "Now, that sounds like a date."
He relaxes a little, shoots her one of his trademark smirks… "As long as I get laid after…"
She whacks his arm at his lack of manners but she cannot help the beaming smile on her lips. "Tonight then."
"You ain't staying to watch my ass getting his own close up?" he teases.
"Language." She clucks her tongue. "Does your butt need me to coach it through the take?"
He shrugs, looking sheepish all of a sudden. His hands move as if to burry themselves in nonexistent pockets and he looks a little awkward when he doesn't find any. "I like it when you're here."
She should stop beaming, she tells herself firmly. Right now. Before she scares him off.
"Not that I care what you do. You're just easier to work with than Summercket." he adds with something akin to panic.
"I will stay." she agrees and, by some miracle, she manages to keep her voice even.
"Good." He nods, glances at where Cressida is glaring at him and then makes a face. "Got to go before she threatens to cut my junk off again."
"She would not have threatened you the first time if you had behaved." she points out.
She's positively sauntering as she walks back to the row of chairs.
Cressida spends five minutes berating Haymitch because of the flush on his cheeks…
Effie's having a much better day than she thought she would be.