"Although we never said it to each other, I think we both knew." -Unknown.
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"What the fuck are you doing in here?" a voice jarred Jared from his sleep. He shot up in confusion, knocking his head on the wall lamp that hung on the wall above him.
"Shit," he hissed, rubbing the spot and wincing in pain as he reached up to turn the light on and locate the offending voice. His face paled a bit as he saw Jake Gyllenhaal standing in front of him, looking rather angry. "Hi."
Jake glared at him, crossing his arms as he glanced around the room. Daphne was still asleep in the bed and Jared could still see Shannon's form on the bed through the open door. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed, standing up slowly.
"Jake, nice to see you again," he said, plastering a smile on his face, despite the searing headache he now had. Although, he wasn't sure if it was a result of his hangover from the night beforehand or the large bruise forming on his forehead from the light.
Jake took his hand and shook it politely. "What the hell are you doing in my girlfriend's room?" he asked again.
Jared paused when he said 'girlfriend', but thought better of addressing that fact when he saw Jake's heavily-muscled arms in his t-shirt. "We went out to a bar last night," he said.
Jake glared at him and produced his cell phone. "I know," he said, showing Jared a photo of him and Daphne dancing closely together. "I know you two are friends and everything. And I've seen the publicity shots of you guys in character and everything and I can handle all of that." Jake looked around the room and lowered his voice when he saw Daphne stir slightly on the bed. "What I don't like seeing is you sleeping in my girlfriend's room."
Jared glanced at Daphne. "Obviously I slept on the couch," he said. "Plus the door's open. Do you really think anything is going to happen when my brother is sleeping right there?" Jake was unmoved. "She had a little too much to drink last night and I didn't want to leave her alone in case something happened, alright?"
Jake glanced at Shannon. "And you didn't care enough about your brother to keep an eye on him?"
Jared shrugged. "He's used to being drunk. Holds his liquor better than most people, I think."
Jake smiled, though it didn't spread to his eyes. "Right," he said, nodding. "I know what you're doing. And you need to stop it."
Jared glanced around in confusion. "I should stop trying to keep Daphne safe?"
Jake sighed in frustration. "Stop flirting with her. Stop being all cutesy with her. You're her costar and that's it."
Jared narrowed his eyes at the taller man, enjoying his nervousness. "Why do you care so much? You must not trust her enough to know that she'd never cheat on you-or anyone for that matter. Unless you're worried that she's getting something from me that you haven't given her yet?" He waggled his eyebrows at the younger man before placing his hand on Jake's shoulder.
Jake shrugged it off, biting his lip. "Don't-don't touch me," he said quietly, shaking his head to keep from punching Jared in the face.
Jared shrugged as he walked into the other room. "Dude, you gotta fuck her," he said simply before shutting the door quietly.
Jake felt the color rising in his cheeks as he turned and faced Daphne. He couldn't believe she'd tell other people about their love life-or lack thereof.
Later that day, Daphne was completely in costume to shoot her first scene with Jared. The set was bustling with people running around. Her makeup artist was touching up her face in the new lighting for the scene as Daphne ran over her lines again. Jared was sitting next to her, but the two of them weren't talking to each other. She was very aware of Jake's gaze on her as he watched her from behind the camera.
After Jared had left the room, Jake had woken Daphne up, slightly upset with everything. He had surprised her in coming, but he certainly didn't expect to see what he saw in her room when he arrived. He was furious when he told her about his encounter with Jared that morning, and it wasn't exactly how she had wanted to start her first day of shooting. She was already nervous about everyone staring at her. There had been a distinct focus on her reactions to everything Jared did as the Joker because they all thought she'd have a breakdown or something due to her relationship with Heath. If she was going to have a breakdown, it wouldn't be because of her feelings for Heath, but rather because of the stress she was under with having to act with Jared while Jake watched.
Jared spoke quietly, breaking the silence between them. "I'm sorry about this morning."
She rolled her eyes. "Really? You had to tell him about what I told you? You just couldn't keep it to yourself?"
He sighed and leaned closer to her. "I didn't mean to cause problems between you two."
She bit her lip. "There are already problems between us, Jared. That's not your fault. But you certainly didn't help the situation by bringing that up. And you shouldn't have slept in my room."
"Well, sorry for not wanting you to die on your own puke in the middle of the night," he said, louder than he anticipated, drawing several gazes from production assistants near them. He glanced at them before lowering his voice. "I was just trying to be a friend. I thought that's what we were?"
She glared at him. "Is that really what we are? Because last I checked, my friends didn't undress me and hose me down in the shower when I was passed out drunk," she whispered to him.
He winced at the mention of his actions. "In my defense you had vomit in your hair and I didn't think you wanted to wake up like that in the morning."
She rolled her eyes. "It still doesn't change the fact that you saw me naked."
"I didn't see anything. I wasn't trying to make it like that," he said. "Besides, do you really take me for that type of guy?"
She shook her head. "No. Of course not. You'd never take it from a girl like that. You're the type who just pays for it because it's easier than the possible rejection."
He withdrew like he had been slapped in the face. She stood up and went over to her mark, standing in the lighting and letting the light technician adjust a few things. Jared shook his head and looked over at Jake, who was talking on the phone. He could feel the anger radiating off of Daphne like heat waves on a tarmac.
"Alright Jared, we're ready for you," David called.
Jared got up, leaving his script on the chair behind him and walked over to his mark. He was supposed to emerge from the shadows on the warehouse-like setting they were shooting inside of and address Ophelia. It was supposed to be the first scene in the entire film, but it was also supposed to be very simple and easy. He was just supposed to walk forward out of the shadows, stop at a highlighted mark a few feet away from Daphne, say his line, and then she was supposed to turn and face him, giving the audience their first full look at her. Then the camera would pan around back to him after she gave her line, giving the audience its first full look at him.
He waited for her to get into place, closing his eyes to drown out all the other noise and focus specifically on the task at hand. He hadn't done much practice in terms of using his voice in front of everyone, so it was the first time everyone would be getting the full effect of the costume and the voice, with everything else.
"Rolling!" the cinematographer's assistant called.
"Action-Jared!" David called.
Jared walked through the shadows to his mark, hearing the metal jingling on his costume and feeling everything coming to him. He stopped and said his first line. "Hello, my little demon," he said, his voice a deep seductive mixture of a growl and whisper.
Daphne turned to face him and stopped. Her entire mind went blank. When she saw Jared and heard the voice he was using, all she could think of was Heath. His smile. His laugh. His eyes. His voice. They all flashed before her eyes as she frantically tried to focus on what was in front of her. Then her mind flashed to the morning she found him on the floor in his apartment in New York City, cold and lifeless. The scream she let out and the horrible nightmares that followed. The late night conversations they'd had where he told her about how he couldn't sleep, how he had these thoughts, how he'd take so many pills. It all came flooding back to her and she froze. She forgot her anger at Jared and her confusion about Jake. She forgot everything.
And she started to cry. The tears ran down her face and she started to sob. Jared read her thoughts and rushed forward, catching her in his arms as she collapsed into him. He glanced over at David who just nodded, looking around for Jake, who had approached when he saw what was happening.
"I had a feeling this was going to happen," David said to Jared. "Jake, could you get her calmed down and we will just do a few shots with Jared while this gets figured out."
Jared shifted Daphne into Jake's arms, giving him a nod as his wardrobe assistant came over to adjust his costume and a makeup girl came to redo his makeup. He glanced around for Daphne, but he couldn't find her. David called for a reset and they did a few more close ups of his face. Meanwhile, Jake had set Daphne down in a quiet corner and was kneeling in front of her. She had stopped crying, but now she was upset because she ruined the shot. David had finished with Jared for the moment and came over, Jared following close behind.
"Daphne, it's fine," David reassured her. "We have all actually been waiting for that to happen. You lasted longer than we thought you would," he said with a sweet smile on his face. He knelt in front of her, trying to loosen the tension.
She nodded, a smile coming to her face. "I really thought I'd be fine with it. I really did. But I just turned and it just wasn't what my brain had expected."
David gave her knee a squeeze. "I know, sweetheart. I know. But you said you trusted Jared with this. So you have to trust him."
Jared was hovering in the background a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, chin resting on his fist. He was glancing between Daphne and David and Jake. Jake on the other hand had a bit of a crestfallen look on his face.
"Are you able to shoot again?" David asked. "Because there is plenty we can do without you today if you need some time. I know it's not going to be easy for you."
She nodded. "I'll be fine," she said. "I'm just sorry I ruined the take. I honestly thought everything was god with all of this."
David gave her a smile and stood up, patting her bare knee. He called for hair and makeup and within seconds, a flurry of activity surrounded Daphne. She was so focused on trying to get back into character and push all thoughts of Heath from her mind that she didn't even notice Jake and Jared talking.
"Tell Daphne I'm headed back to the hotel," Jake said. "I think it's upsetting her to have me here."
Jared knew what was going on, though. Jake had seen it in her eyes just as much as Jared had. That look that a widow has when she is faced with the loss of her lover. Jared could see that Daphne was completely in love with Heath. And presumably, Jake could as well. Jared chose to ignore this and simply nodded.
"I'll try to remember," he said, shaking Jake's hand. "It was good to see you again."
Jake gave him a weak smile before walking away, leaving Jared in the distance. As he watched Daphne get fixed up again, he couldn't help but wonder how hard it must be to be in her position. Her reaction a few moments ago coupled with what she had said the night beforehand back in her hotel room made him think she was extraordinarily lonely. That she had lost her friend and her lover and that she still hadn't gotten over it, even several years after his death. And suddenly his desire to become close with Daphne dissipated, leaving only the desire to befriend her in its place.