Work Text:
Z knew something was wrong the instant she stepped into the studio.
Reni looked around, her smile wolfish between her headphones. One of the grips she'd been directing whistled low as more heads turned towards Z. Tom and Sean paused their earnest, scruffy conversation, slipping off the window ledge they'd been sharing and ambling closer.
"Coffee?" This week's fresh-faced PA appeared at Z's side.
Z narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"
His eyes got wider, alarmed. He looked all of twelve. "It's ... really good coffee," he stammered.
It was Starbucks coffee. Z gave it and him a frightened glance and ducked under a camera, slipping down to sit next to Laena. "Oh my god, what gives?" she hissed. "I have maybe, what, four lines this episode? What is with people looking at me?"
Laena looked up, blinking. Her mouth slid into a wide smile. "Oh, man," she said. "New script, Z. You should really, really read it." She fumbled underneath her and fished out her copy, passing it over.
Z stared down at it, fingering the cover as though it could bite. Which, well. Figuratively, it maybe could.
Locker 98 was a teenie basketball comedy-drama about Zach Landry, star high school basketball player with an underprivileged background. Jon Walker had brought the brown-eyed, boy-next-door good looks and easy smile to the role, and Zach had been an instant hit. Although actually the story was mostly about Zach and Mattie, the frequently messed up younger boy who hero worshipped Zach. That was the relationship with the biggest online following, and the writers knew it.
Zach's new editorially-sanctioned love interest was the ridiculously named clumsy and adorable Bunny Calloway. (Last season's love interest had moved to Philly just after the romantic resolution. Zach had been pretty cut up about it, in a stoic, soulful-gaze sort of way.) Z's character, Taylor Vanguard, was another new introduction this season. She was the sexy mean girl who couldn't decide whether she wanted Zach or wanted to rule the school. Z wasn't sure even the writers knew what her character arc was going to be – she'd been growing increasingly slutty and shrill lately, and it was making Z nervous. Z was okay with slutty and shrill in themselves, but often that kind of spiral led to a character being replaced at the end of the season.
She chewed her lip.
Laena leaned over her shoulder. "There's a summary of the changes at the beginning. "
Z flipped open the first page. Three lines in, her stomach gave a lurch and she gripped Laena's shoulder.
When Taylor witnesses Zach buying Bunny coffee, she decides to ruin Bunny's innocent reputation in an effort to turn Zach against her. Pretending to befriend Bunny, she tells her that she thinks Zach likes her, and convinces Bunny that she needs to learn to kiss. Taylor offers to teach her, then thrusts Bunny into Zach's path with undone buttons and a very visible hickie, leaving Zach to think that Bunny fools around all the time. Later repentant, Taylor confesses to Zach. Meanwhile, Mattie's leg is finally out of the cast he put it in when he climbed out of the window after the ghost of his dead sister, and Zach coaches him in basketball to celebrate.
Z stared at the words. There was a rushing in her ears.
Somebody was talking to her. "... okay? Z, do you need...?"
Z snapped her head up, staring blindly at Laena. "Hi," she said, her voice faint. "I'm fine. I'm –" She looked down at the script again. "Wow."
Laena grinned. "I know, right? You get a lesbian makeout scene, Z. We're going to lose our 8.30 timeslot; it's going to be amazing."
Z barely heard her. Her fingers were going white on the folded pages of the script. She was going to be kissing Tennessee. On camera. Over and over again in a million takes. She was going to be sliding down and biting Tennessee's neck.
Z might actually die.
She looked up as Greenwald strolled in. He got a round of catcalls louder than Z's had been.
"Is this the start of a new era?" Reni called, grinning at him. "The new amped-up Locker 98? Will next season have drug runners?"
Tom leaned his elbows on Sean's camera stand. "The forums are going to implode, you realise."
Ryan leaned over the back of his chair, his chin on this hands. "Greenwald's finally selling his soul for ratings. We all knew it would happen."
Alex reached out to ruffle Ryan's curls. "Our ratings are fine, and wash your mouth out, Mattie."
Sean frowned, tapping Tom away from his camera. "Are they really fine?"
"Sure," Alex said. He tilted his head, making a so-so face. "We're not New Administration, but this world is full of fourteen-year-old girls who want in Jon Walker's pants." He gave Z hilariously raised eyebrows. "And a couple who want in yours, sweetheart, so let's up the number."
Z got to her feet. "You're regressing to a fourteen year old girl now, Alex?" she asked, patting his cheek. She thought she sounded normal; she was almost sure.
Greenwald tucked an arm around her shoulders. "Who said anything about regressing?" he asked. "I'll show you my online alter ego sometime. Her name's Cindy."
A moment later he wheeled away to direct cameras into position, clapping his hands.
Z pulled her arms around herself. She could feel her chest going tight each time she remembered what she was going to be doing. (Tomorrow? The next day? The schedule was tight, and a script change wasn't going to alter that. She assumed they'd be shooting the scenes that hadn't changed today, but after that...)
Z slipped into the chair next to Ryan, curling her arms around her folded knees. Ryan was one of Z's favourite things about Locker 98, and he was usually vague enough that he needed a direct hit by a bus to notice anything you didn't want him to notice. Which was everything, at the moment, because Z was a fucking mess.
"You and Jon used to work on New Administration, didn't you?" she mumbled to Ryan.
He looked up, his eyes crinkling with delight as he saw her. "Huh? Oh, yeah, first season. Back when it was still called Children of the New Administration."
Z curled her arms tighter and then loosened them, trying to relax. (Kissing Tennessee kissing Tennessee ohgod.) "What's Pete Wentz like?"
Ryan stretched back, tilting towards her with his arms behind his head. "Dreamy," he said, deadpan. "Tortured. Artistic."
Z let her eyes go wide and earnest, smothering a laugh. "That was what I always thought," she said, making her voice confiding. "There's something in his eyes, you know?"
Ryan bit his lip. "They pierce you," he agreed.
Z clutched his knee. "Like smoky glass shards."
"As though he sees your soul."
"And gets lost in its darkness," Z finished, her voice a whisper.
Ryan smiled, sudden and sweet. "Actually he's a pretty good guy," he admitted. "He actually got me and my friend Spencer our first roles on that show, it was kind of huge. He helped Brendon out, too – Brendon Urie, he plays Pete's little brother? The one who went evil last season?"
Z sat up, briefly excited. "Oh, damn, I loved that arc. I was so fucking disappointed when they made him good again, you have no idea."
So Z maybe watched New Administration a little obsessively. Ryan raised his eyebrows. "It's addictive," she said coolly.
Tennessee and Jon had come out of Wardrobe at some point without Z noticing. Z looked up to see Tennessee watching her. She and Jon were on set, camera and sound techs milling around them, while Alex gave directions to some extras. Tennessee was chewing on her lower lip. Z fought the urge to sink down in her chair and hide. Tennessee hesitated, looking awkward, and then stretched her arms above her head, smiling with a nervous irrepressibility. She turned to Greenwald as he directed her into place, turning back at the last second to blow Z a kiss.
Z made a strangled noise and buried her face in Ryan's neck.
"Um," Ryan said.
Z mumbled something without words.
Ryan poked her. "Are you going to watch the take?"
Z squeezed her eyes shut. Then she wriggled upright, curling her arms around her knees once more.
"This is the scene Taylor is supposed to be spying on, yeah?" she muttered. "I think I'm doing that shot this afternoon, before you and Jon do your basketball lesson."
"You'd better watch so you know what expression you're modelling, then," Ryan said.
Z screwed her mouth to the side. She thought bitchy and evil was probably going to cover it, actually.
Okay, so sometimes she loved her character a lot.
Bunny was attempting to balance a collection of food and drinks on her lunch tray. The camera focused on her teetering paper coffee cup for a moment. She pushed her hair back behind her ears, concentrating."Ketchup, dear?" the lunch lady asked, holding up a horrifyingly bright red bottle.
Bunny started, then smiled, shaking her head. "No, I'm good," she said, lifting the tray higher and starting to turn. "I'm just going to –"
"Woah."
Bunny's elbow knocked into Zach's side as she turned, and he threw his hands up, surprised. The paper cup flew off the tray, coffee spattering Zach's white shirt. Bunny put the tray down with a clatter, pushing her hands to her mouth. Her eyes were wide and mortified.
"Oh my god," she said. "Oh my god, I can't believe – here, you should –" She grabbed the napkin off her abandoned tray, ducking her head. "I can – um." She dabbed at Zach's shirtfront with the napkin, biting her lip.
"Hey," Zach said. He ducked his head, trying to see her face. "Hey, it's okay. Really." He took the napkin off her, forcing her to raise her face. There was colour high in her cheeks.
Zach scraped at his own shirtfront with the napkin, his expression wry. "My mom's going to think I got into a food fight," he joked.
Bunny ducked her head, playing with the ends of her hair. "I'm really sorry," she said again, shooting a look at him and then down. "Seriously, I can't believe I –"
"No, hey, it's cool," Zach said. He smiled at her, ducking his head again. "It's the girl with the weird name, right? From Chemistry? Bunny something?"
Bunny nodded, biting her lip again. "Calloway. Bunny Calloway." She made a face. "Clumsiest girl on the West Coast." Then she looked down at her tray again, and her voice went plaintive. "And now I have no coffee, and I've ruined your shirt, and – worst morning ever."
Lance from the basketball team called from the other side of the cafeteria. "Hey, Zach! You coming, man, or what?"
Zach looked around, then back at Bunny. "Listen, I should –"
Bunny nodded several times, quick and nervous. "No, absolutely," she said. "You should definitely go be with people who don't spill coffee on you."
Zach half turned, then hesitated, looking at Bunny again. He gave a half-smile. "Or – maybe you could let me buy you a new coffee."
Bunny's eyes went wide. She stood wooden, her mouth opening and closing.
"Or you could do that," she whispered.
"Okay, cut," Alex called, and the actors on set blinked out of the scene as they looked at him.
Z leaned her head against Ryan's shoulder.
"... really great, but the stare goes on too long, Tenn," Greenwald was saying. "Shocked rather than comatose would be good."
Tennessee nodded, businesslike, and Alex stepped back, letting the cameras role again.
"Do you think she's actually blushing?" Z asked. It was hard to tell from this distance, but she thought Tennessee might be. "Because that's a skill." She thought about it for a second. "Kind of an embarrassing skill, but a skill."
Ryan had his script out, frowning as he went over his lines for the basketball lesson scene with Jon. "You're only jealous because you've never pulled off a role like that in your life," he said, not looking up.
Z dug her fingers in his side. "Oh, fuck you, I was a little girl touched by angels when I was fourteen. I ingenue'd the shit out of that role."
Ryan looked up and grinned at her.
They'd cut again, for something or other, and Tennessee was talking to Sean. Z wondered again why they'd given Bunny an American accent rather than Tennessee's English one. E! had called Bunny Calloway the most adorable thing on primetime television last week, but Z privately didn't think she had anything on Tennessee Thomas when she was enthusiastic about something.
Greenwald wandered over, making Z blink and look up.
"Listen," Greenwald said, "we're going to push your shot back to tomorrow, Z, after Taylor's confession scene."
Z flicked open her script, quickly leafing to the right page. "The one with Jon? We're doing that tomorrow already?"
Greenwald nodded. "You should probably go learn your lines."
Z nodded, unfolding herself.
"We're about ready to wrap this one," Alex was telling Ryan as she walked away. "You're up next – you need to get into Wardrobe."
Ryan saluted, turning it into a wave to Z as she reached the door.
She lifted her hand a little.
The actors on set were still between takes. Jon had stopped Ryan before he could go into Wardrobe, his smile hopeful. Ryan gave him a distracted nod and kept going. Tennessee was goofing off with Reni, doing fashion model poses while Reni pretended to take photos with somebody's hand-held.
"Give me a tiger," Reni cried. "Rabid Chihuahua, now, give me some teeth, baby."
Tennessee gave a growling whimper, her hands coming up in tiny claws.
Z ducked her shoulder and slipped out of the studio.
Several hours later, she was pacing the length of her studio apartment. "Zach, wait," she muttered. "I need to tell you something. No, hang on." She checked the script again. "I need to talk to you –"
She caught sight of her face in the hall mirror, her eyes fevered and dark. "Zach, I'm in love with your girlfriend," she said, watching her own face. "I thought you should know."
Her reflection looked back, helpless.
Z wheeled away and threw herself onto the couch, flipping forward in the script to the kiss. She took a panicky breath and skimmed quickly, fixing on the end of the scene.
Voices sound in the hall. Taylor draws back, pulls open the door, and pushes Bunny through, giving her a finger wave as she closes the door.Zach and Lance turn the corner a moment later. They're laughing, but they falter as they see Bunny, her hair mussed and her top button undone, a mouth-shaped bruise showing on her collarbone. She opens and closes her mouth, staring at them.
ZACH
Bunny? Are you ... what's going on?Lance raises his eyebrows.
LANCE
Seriously, dude, you're asking that?Bunny pushes her hands against her flushed cheeks.
INT. -- THE UNUSED CLASSROOM Taylor is straightening her hair and makeup in a compact. She puts it away, smiling slightly, and saunters to the door, pulling it open.
TAYLOR
Hey, does anybody know why Peter Musgrove was --She breaks off, apparently taking in Bunny's appearance.
TAYLOR
Okay, I guess that's what he was doing. Bunny Calloway, I heard the rumours but I didn't think they could be true. You really are a bad girl.
Z dropped the script onto the floor beside her and threw her head back against the headrest.
She'd never had this much trouble concentrating on lines in her life. Half of her wished the scene with Tennessee was tomorrow, so she could stop obsessing about it. Then she stopped to imagine kissing Tennessee again, and she nearly threw up with nerves.
She grabbed her phone off the coffee table, checking the time on the display. Eight o'clock. She hit speed dial 4.
"I need to practise girlkissing," she said, as soon as it picked up.
"Wha...?" There was a fumble as Ryan changed the phone around to his other ear. "Z?"
"I'm serious," Z said. "I need – I'm not ready for this. I haven't prepared."
"Okay, for one," Ryan said slowly, "that scene isn't till the day after tomorrow, so you're not supposed to be fully prepared. And for two ... didn't you have a girlfriend? Like, six months ago?"
Z groaned. "Meaningless girlkissing," she said.
Ryan hesitated. "I'm missing something, aren't I," he said.
Z got up and paced again. "It's just that I work with Tennessee," she said. "It needs to be – to be professional. To not be weird." She turned and paced back the other way. "And convincing, obviously convincing, except – Taylor's pretending, so not too convincing. Oh god."
Ryan was silent for a while. "You could kiss me," he offered, sounding hopeful.
Z lowered the phone and looked at it. She put it back to her ear. "Uh huh," she said, incredulous.
She heard the light thunk of Ryan tipping his head back against the wall. "What," he grumped. "I like kissing."
Z dropped back onto the couch, curling her legs up tight. "Oh god."
"Z," Ryan said. She could hear rustling as he sat up straighter. "Seriously, Z, relax. You're good, okay, you're fucking brilliant as Taylor. You're going to nail this scene; you'll be the best mean pretend lesbian ever. I swear."
Z nodded, clutching the phone. "This is all so fucked up," she muttered.
"Is this because of that thing with Tennessee when you both first started? Where you didn't get on?" Ryan sounded as though he was trying to pick his way blindfolded.
Z chewed her lip. "Kind of?" It was true, she and Tennessee hadn't been friends when they first started. Z was willing to admit that she ... maybe didn't react all that well to falling in instant and ridiculous infatuation with a co-star.
Alex had been introducing Z to the rest of the principals: Ryan with the crooked smile; Jon shaking her hand with easy warmth; Tom cross-legged on a window sill bouncing a basket ball; Laena halfway through a costume fitting, making big eyes and waving her pom pom as an excuse for not shaking hands as Jon had. Tennessee had looked up from her copy of the season outline, shaking her fringe out of her eyes, one long leg curled up against her chest. She'd slid out of her chair, awkward-graceful, and taken Z's hand, smiling as she said hi. Z had forgotten how to breathe.
She'd avoided Tennessee whenever she could for the next month in an attempt at self-preservation.
The problem was that it was really, really hard to keep your distance on a small set, especially since the writers loved putting Taylor and Bunny in scenes together for the contrast they offered. Eventually Z had realised that Tennessee and everybody else thought that Z had a problem with Tennessee. She'd dropped the distance immediately, and they were friends now, Z thought, but it was ... tentative. Tennessee treated Z more carefully than she did the rest of the cast and crew. Z had only herself to blame for that, she knew.
"I don't know what to do," Z said now. Her voice was small.
"Zach! Hey, Zach!" Mattie caught up to Zach in the hallway, his bag falling down one shoulder to drag on the crook of his arm.Zach looked around, his eyes troubled. They cleared when he saw Mattie. "'Sup?" he asked. "How's the leg?"
Mattie shook that off, thin shoulders shrugging. "It's fine, whatever." He smiled, shy and awkward. "I've been practising that move you taught me. With the –" He mimed turning on his heel, chucking an imaginary ball.
Zach grinned and mimed catching it, hugging the ball to his chest. "Think you can take me on?" he asked, eyes dancing.
Mattie's lip curled, his own eyes lighting up. "You talk a big game, Landry." His too-long fringe fell in his eyes as he went up on his toes, dropping into a defensive crouch.
Zach went to dodge to the side. A sardonic dark gaze from the doorway froze him and he straightened, his smile embarrassed. "Hi, Taylor," he said. His voice was constrained.
Taylor raised her eyebrows. Dusky makeup emphasized her eyes, and her hair slipped onto her shoulders in perfect glossy waves. Her knee socks and short checked skirt were perfect too. Her lip curled with cool contempt.
She ruined the pose a second later by biting her lip and hugging her arms around her middle. "I need to talk to you," she said. She looked at her shoes and back up at him, beseeching.
Zach blinked. His arms dropped, no longer holding the imaginary ball. "Uh," he said. "Sure. If you – sure."
Taylor's eyes slid to Mattie, and her lip curled again. "The puppy still following you, Zach?" she asked sweetly. "Have you tried drowning him in a paper bag?"
Mattie rolled his eyes, his shoulders rising a little. "I think this hallway has a bigger problem with cats, actually," he said.
"Hey," Zach said. He was frowning. "What is it with you two all the time?"
Mattie looked incredulous. He waved a hand. "It doesn't matter, I'm gone." He took off down the corridor.
Zach was still frowning when he turned back. "What's this about, Taylor?"
She was hugging her middle again. She dropped her arms, looking intently at her own fingernails. "I don't even know why I care," she said. "If she hadn't looked so pathetic..." She blew out her breath, her expression hard and sarcastic. "Whatever. I set Bunny up, okay."
Zach's expression grew more intent. "What?"
Taylor gave him a cool look. "She doesn't make out with guys in hall closets, okay, she doesn't even know how to make out, it's pathetic."
"How could – why would you do something like that?"
Taylor's face looked vulnerable for a moment. "You don't know me, Zach Landry," she said.
"No," Zach said. He was looking at her thoughtfully. "I don't."
Taylor took a breath, bringing her smile back. She stepped closer, the smile sweet and dangerous. "Don't ever forget that, then," she whispered. She turned to leave, her skirt swishing. Then she looked over her shoulder. "And don't imagine this means that I like her," she added. Her face screwed up, hilariously distasteful. "God."
Zach grinned. "You're not as bad as you think you are, Taylor Vanguard," he called.
Taylor hesitated, facing away from Zach. The camera caught her unguarded face, conflicted and tragic. Then she turned her head to the side, her hair falling over her eyes as she ducked through a doorway and out of shot.
"Okay," Alex said. "Wow. I hope you didn't want anyone to be looking at you in this scene, Jon."
Jon's cheeks flushed a little, but he smiled easily enough. "I'm okay with being outshone if Z's going to go for an Emmy," he said mildly.
Z leaned her head back, cricking her neck. "Are we ready for another take?" she demanded. "I didn't like the conversation with Mattie; it felt perfunctory."
Greenwald waved a hand, distracted. "I want to try that last shot from the left," he said. "Can we get – hey, camera 3, I want you over here."
Z shoved her thumbs inside her belt, impatient. Ryan had been stopped by one of the makeup team, patiently staring up as she did something to his eyes. Jon was scuffing his shoe against the floor, his hands linked behind his head.
"You're really focused today," Jon commented. He looked curious.
Z shrugged. She felt as though she was going to jitter out of her skin. She could distract herself from other thoughts if she threw herself into Taylor, she'd discovered, but she couldn't do it if they were going to stand around picking at their fingernails.
"Well, this is Taylor's big scene, isn't it?" she said casually. "It's the first time she's got to be three-dimensional. I want – to do it right, I guess." She smiled, and it felt so forced that she wished she hadn't. God, she could be Taylor but she couldn't remember how to be Z, this morning.
Jon half smiled. "I thought tomorrow was Taylor's big scene," he said, his eyes sparkling.
Z tried to make a witty comeback, but her stomach lurched into her throat.
Jon's blinked and he leaned closer. "Are you really ... is this you freaking out?" he asked.
"No," Z said. Her smile turned a little sick as Jon looked at her, and she squeezed her eyes closed. "Yes?"
"... Huh," Jon said.
Z opened her eyes again to make a face at him. "Damn, Walker, that was so understanding and helpful. Thank you."
"No," Jon said, "I just – I guess I wouldn't have picked you as someone who'd be freaked out by kissing on camera."
Z looked at her shoes, mumbling something even she didn't understand.
There was some kind of mini-conference going on between the camera guys and the sound people around Alex, now, she noticed.
"What?" Jon said.
Z clamped her mouth shut for a second. "I said," she said, "imagine for a second that you were kissing Ryan on camera." She looked straight at him. She was sure she wasn't wrong.
Jon's eyes widened comically. His gaze darted to Ryan, now chatting to the girl who'd been touching up his eyes. He breathed out. "Um," he said quietly. "Ouch. Don't pull your punches, Berg."
Z shrugged her shoulders impatiently. "My point is – is –"
Jon's eyes cleared again as he registered the rest of what she'd been saying. "Oh, shit," he said. "Really? You're – it's Tennessee?"
Z hugged her arms, feeling vulnerable. She looked around. "Seriously, why aren't we filming?" she muttered.
Jon stayed quiet, thinking. "You know Tenn thinks you barely tolerate her, right?" he said after a moment.
Z looked at him, stricken. She went to speak, then realised that he was watching something over the far end of the studio. She turned to look, and registered with a small shock that Tennessee was actually here today. Usually it was impossible to miss when she was around, but today she hadn't gone out of her way to grin at Z and say hi, the way she usually did, and she wasn't making any noise to draw attention to herself. She was leaning against a wall quietly talking to Sean.
She hadn't spoken to Z yesterday, either. Z had been so focused on avoiding Tennessee, she hadn't noticed that the reason it was so easy was that Tennessee was avoiding her back.
Z wasn't sure she knew what to do with that.
Z came into work the next day feeling a fatalistic calm. The script said that she had to kiss Tennessee, so she would kiss Tennessee, and if she broke her own heart doing it, well, she would suffer for her art. Or her paycheck. Something.
Alex swung around as she came in, handing off his clipboard to somebody so that he could throw an arm around Z's shoulders.
"Z!" he said. "My main girl! So we've decided to cut your lesbian kiss scene."
Z felt her heart stutter. "Wh-what?" she managed. She wriggled out of Alex's hold. "Really?"
Alex grinned. "No, not really," he said. He reached out to tousle her hair, tugging her head over to kiss her temple.
He left Z shaking slightly. Half of her wanted to punch Alex in the head, and the rest of her was hyperventilating all over again.
So much for her calm.
Looking around, Z was dismayed to see that even though theirs was the only scene scheduled for today, most of the cast and a bunch of extras had turned up. Z spotted Greta Salpeter, who had played Zach's love interest last season before leaving the show; she was chatting to Tom by the window. She noticed Z looking and gave her a little wave, her smile sunny.
Tennessee appeared at Z's side. "Hi," she said. "Hey." She fidgeted with her hands. She looked more uncertain than Z had ever seen her.
"Hey," Z said, her mouth dry.
Tennessee smiled big and nervous, the smile dying away as she chewed on her lip. "This doesn't have to be a big deal, does it," she said. Her eyes darted to Z's and away. "We can – I have faith in our ability to be professional adults, don't you?"
Z tried to talk and had to clear her throat.
"I'm feeling pretty adult," she said. Then she heard the double meaning and hoped to god she wasn't blushing.
Tennessee lowered her lashes, her eyes dancing. "Oh, really?" she said.
Z crossed her arms tight. "It's just a scene," she said sharply. "Whatever."
Tennessee actually took half a step back. "No, absolutely," she said. Her smile wavered between hugely sunny and crushed. "It's just funny how many people have turned up; it makes me laugh."
And this was probably why Tennessee thought Z hated her. Z stretched out a hand, touching Tennessee's shoulder as she went to turn away. "I meant –"
"Wardrobe, guys!" Greenwald was over the other end of the studio, tapping his watch. "Hop it!"
Tennessee looked at Z's hand on her shoulder, her expression faintly confused. Z dropped it and shoved her hands in her pockets. "Okay," she said. "Um. I need – probably I'm getting tarted up, now."
"I imagine I've got a virginal white dress to change into," Tennessee agreed. They hovered for a moment, then Z bumped gently past Tennessee, walking to Wardrobe as quickly as she could.
Bunny slowed as she approached her locker. Taylor Vanguard was leaning against it, her ankles crossed in front of her, her high denim shorts leaving the long line of her legs bare. She uncrossed her feet, pushing away from the locker, and took Bunny's hand, pulling her closer.Bunny blinked at her, a little panicked. "Uh. Hi?" Her voice came out higher than usual.
"Hiiiii." Taylor widened her eyes, making them big and dark. "Walk with me?"
Bunny shifted the books in her arms and dropped one. She flushed, going immediately to her knees and dropping another book as she reached for the first. Above her head, Taylor rolled her eyes.
Bunny fumbled the books into a pile under her left arm, straightening again. Her hair was mussed, and her cheeks were still pink. Taylor grabbed her free arm, slipping her own through it. "Come on, Calamity Girl."
"What?" Bunny said. She craned over her shoulder. "I need – my books, Taylor, I need to put them –"
"This is more important," Taylor said. She bit her bottom lip, teeth indenting the cherry red, and smiled a little. Bunny stumbled over her tennis shoes as she let herself get tugged along.
"Taylor," she protested, as they rounded yet another corner. "Taylor, where are we going?" She looked around, double taking. "Aren't we near the boys' change rooms now?"
Taylor put a finger to her lips, grinning up at Bunny. "We need somewhere private," she said. "Here." She pushed open the door of an unused classroom and pulled Bunny through it. Then she closed the door after them and leaned against it. Her eyes were dark with excitement.
"Um." Bunny crossed her arms around her neck.
Taylor pushed away from the door. "I," she said, stalking forward, "am going to do you a favour, Bunny Calloway."
"Um," Bunny said again.
"Come on." Taylor nudged her back until she was sitting on a desk, then sat up beside her. She twisted around, getting one knee beneath her.
"I saw you with Zach yesterday," Taylor said.
Bunny went pink. "What?" she said. "No, I – he just bought me a coffee because I made a fool of myself." She looked pleading. "He was just being nice." She looked down at her knees, her mouth tugging into a smile. "He's – he's really nice." She gave Taylor a helpless look.
Taylor hugged her knee, her eyes going wide and sympathetic. "Wow, you're really far gone," she said.
"No!" I'm – it's only – I know it wouldn't actually –" Bunny met Taylor's eyes and buried her face in her knees, groaning.
Taylor unfolded her own legs and stretched back, looking pleased with herself.
"Am I really obvious?" Bunny muttered after a moment, her voice muffled.
"Not as obvious as Zach," Taylor said.
"What?" Bunny sat up so fast her ponytail whipped into her face.
Taylor raised her eyebrows. "He's totally into you, you must have noticed."
Bunny's eyes were huge. "I don't – really?" she whispered.
Taylor leaned over, putting her hand on Bunny's knee. "But – Bunny, I know boys like Zach," she said. "He likes you now, but he's going to get bored with the innocent thing after a while."
Bunny frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Taylor shrugged, playing with a bit of her hair. "He's a jock, Bunny. An athlete. He wants –" She smirked. "Well, action."
Bunny looked down, her eyes troubled. "Are you sure – I mean does he really – like me?"
Taylor flicked her hair back. "Trust me. You just have to be able to, you know. Keep up with him."
Bunny hugged her knees again. "I don't think I'm the right girl, in that case."
Taylor leaned forward to thread Bunny's hair behind her ear, tilting Bunny's chin up. "Are you saying – you do know how to make out, right?"
Bunny looked trapped.
"Oooh," Taylor said. She still had her hand on Bunny's cheek. "Oh, you have to fix that."
Bunny shook her head, a spark of humour in her eyes. "Oh, of course. I'll just find someone who gives classes, shall I?"
Taylor smiled, propping her elbow on Bunny's shoulder. "Don't be silly," she said. "That's what friends are for."
Bunny stared at her for a second. Then she gently detached Taylor's arm from her shoulder, flushing as she moved it back to Taylor's lap. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Bunny." Taylor looked at her seriously. "You want Zach to like you."
Bunny bit her lip. "Yes?" she admitted.
Taylor shook her head. She took both of Bunny's hands in hers. "Then you're going to have to learn how to kiss."
Bunny hesitated. Then she nodded, shakily decisive. "Okay," she said.
Taylor leaned forward, gently tugging Bunny's hair out of its ponytail. Bunny watched her with wide eyes as her hair tumbled down onto her shoulders.
"Wet your lips," Taylor said softly.
Bunny swallowed and obeyed.
Taylor threaded her hands into Bunny's hair, pulling her closer, and brushed her open mouth against Bunny's cheek, hot breath fanning over her jaw. Bunny made a tiny noise. Taylor gave a smirk, sliding her mouth over Bunny's. "Gentle," she whispered, brushing their lips together.
Bunny's breath hitched in her throat. She half lifted her hand and dropped it again, curling it in the material her dress.
Taylor brushed a strand of Bunny's hair back, her eyes wicked. "The next thing is to add a little tongue. A lady never slobbers all over someone, though. You need ... finesse..."
Bunny's mouth opened in a gasp as Taylor leaned forward again, her hands pushing into the hair at Bunny's temples. She sucked Bunny's lower lip between her own, running her tongue over it and drawing back when Bunny gasped again. Moving in once more she used her teeth to tug at Bunny's lip, moving her mouth to soothe the hurt, and now Bunny made a choked noise, following Taylor's mouth as she drew back.
Taylor pushed in again, and this time she didn't hold back. She forced Bunny's mouth open, running her tongue along the roof of the other girl's mouth until she whimpered. Taylor slid her fingers along Bunny's jaw, forcing her head back, and Bunny's hand found Taylor's knee, gripping uncertainly. Taylor shifted her mouth, nuzzling her nose against Bunny's and then sliding down, along the line of her jaw, down to her neck. She kissed the pulse there, her tongue coming out in a tiny kitten lick.
"What –" Bunny managed, breathless. "I don't think –"
Taylor reached up a hand, her fingers finding Bunny's mouth and gently pressing her silent. Her tongue darted out again, mouth hot against Bunny's neck, and Bunny subsided with a hitched breath. Taylor curved her hand over Bunny's back, the other curling in Bunny's hair at her temple, tilting her head to bare her throat. Then she lowered her mouth again, using her teeth to mark the soft skin.
Z could not fucking keep in character.
Tennessee-as-Bunny made a sound as Z's mouth touched her neck, an adorable choked squeak. Z moved her mouth back up, taking her silencing finger away from Tennessee's mouth so that she could press another kiss there. She pulled back, trying to smile the way Taylor would, but she couldn't remember how. She could still feel the ghost of Tennessee's mouth on hers, hot and sweet. Her hands trembled as she cupped Tennessee's jaw.
"Let's do the bite again," Greenwald said, gesturing for Sean to swing one of the cameras around. The arm of the dolly brushed Tennessee's cheek and she ducked, Sean murmuring an apology.
"Z," Alex said, moving around Max at the other camera. "Start from the tongue line. And tilt your head a little more as you go in for the hickie – we need to see the bite. Make sure you don't leave a mark, though."
Z nodded, feeling shaky. "No, sure," she said.
Somewhere she was aware that a babble of voices had arisen from their spectators, taking advantage of the break in filming. Z didn't want to know what they were seeing up here. She kept her head down, letting a boy from Makeup smooth her hair.
After a moment he turned his attention to Tennessee, and Z gulped in a breath, looking away. Sexy and mean, Taylor was sexy and wickedly amused and mean, and she wasn't affected by kissing. Z took another breath, meeting Tennessee's eyes as the makeup boy backed off and Alex gestured them into position. Tennessee gave her an odd look. A moment later it smoothed away and she was Bunny again, her eyes wide and nervous as the cameras started rolling.
Z made herself smile. "The next thing is to add a little tongue," she murmured. "A lady never slobbers all over someone, though. You need finesse..."
Her voice was coming out too breathless, but Z didn't know how to fix it. She brushed Tennessee's hair back, her fingers trembling, and leaned forward, pushing her hands into Tennessee's hair. It was thick and silky smooth, a gorgeous curtain that Z had never been able to achieve with her own hair. She wanted to stretch her hand out so that the strands ran over her fingers like water.
Tennessee gasped, and Z's pulse jumped. Only the consciousness of the cameras on them kept her from squeezing her eyes shut to compose herself.
She leaned in and took Tennessee's lip between her own instead, sucking gently. Tennessee trembled beneath her and Z nearly sobbed. Every part of her was aware of Tennessee's mouth under hers, of the aching perfection of Tennessee's body tilted towards her. Z let her teeth slide over Tennessee's lip. Tennessee's eyes fluttered open, dark and overwhelmed, and Z's hands slid down to Tennessee's shoulders without her permission, tightening there. She couldn't look away.
Tennessee leaned forward, infinitesimally, brushing Z's mouth with her own. That wasn't in the script.
Z felt her breath hitch, a pained sound. Tennessee's eyes widened, her gaze searching Z's face. She reached up, touching her hand to Z's mouth. Z kissed her fingers before she could help herself.
Tennessee slid off the desk, forcing Sean to retract his camera as she stepped back.
"We need a time-out," Tennessee said.
"No shit," Sean said. His voice was husky.
Alex gave them a dazed nod. Tennessee grabbed Z's hand, tugging her off the school desk. Z followed, stumbling a little as Tennessee led her off the set. Tennessee didn't slow down as they wove past their audience, who mostly looked confused.
"Tenn?" Laena asked. "What's –"
Tennessee shook her head, tugging Z past, and then they'd reached the first dressing room and Tennessee was pushing the door closed behind hem.
Z stared at Tennessee, her breathing coming in stuttery gulps.
Tennessee stepped closer, backing Z up against the dressing room door. Her eyes were dark and amazed. "I didn't –" she said. "I – Z Berg." Her mouth tilted in a gorgeous, disbelieving smile. "Really?"
She reached out a hand, her fingers brushing Z's hand, and Z grabbed it and brought it to her mouth again.
Tennessee surged forward, kissing Z hard. Z went up onto her toes, her hands tangling in Tennessee's hair. Then she broke away, panting.
"Are you really – this isn't just – I mean it's not the filming?" she asked nonsensically. "Because I really. I kind of want to be your girlfriend forever." She bit her lip, staring at Tennessee and hardly conscious of what she was saying. "I hope that isn't a turn-off."
Tennessee touched Z's cheek, making a tiny noise when Z turned her face to kiss her hand again. "I didn't even think you liked me," Tennessee said. Her voice was wondering.
"You have no idea," Z said. "And you haven't – you didn't answer."
Tennessee grinned, as if the smile was breaking out of her. "Right now," she said, "I mostly want to jump you. But we can talk about girlfriends forever in twenty minutes or so if you like." She bit her lip, her voice meditative as she added, "I like morning sex and anniversaries in the park."
Z felt something expanding in her chest. It felt like hope.
"I like the park," Z said, her smile making it hard to talk. Then she gave up on talking and pushed up onto her toes again, winding her arms around Tennessee's neck. She kissed deep and slow, every nerve dancing. Tennessee pressed in close, her hands on the small of Z's back making her shiver, sliding under the hem of the halter top that was Wardrobe's idea of a slutty-and-mean schoolgirl outfit. Tennessee was dressed in a white top with a sweetheart neckline and a soft blue skirt; they were Bunny Calloway's clothes, but her responses, the small sounds she made when she kissed Z, those weren't Bunny Calloway's. Tennessee wasn't faking anything at all, and Z wasn't sure she was ever going to be able to stop kissing her.
There was a hard knock on the door.
Z drew back, breathing hard. Tennessee opened her eyes, her hand coming up to touch her mouth, and Z swayed forward.
The knock came again, louder. Z rocked back onto her heels.
"Guys?" Alex's voice came through the door. It sounded choked. "It is actually causing me physical pain to say this, but we need you to wrap that up in there. We have a schedule to keep."
Z swallowed. "Greenwald?" she called, her voice croaking. "We'll be right out."
Tennessee leaned her forehead against Z's.
"Fuck," Z whispered. "We have to go out there and make out in front of the cameras for another fifty takes."
Tennessee smiled, quick and breathless. "Our jobs," she said. "So tough."
Z groaned, her hands going panicky-tight on Tennessee's elbows. "I'm going to die," she whispered.
__________softlyforgotten's Taylor/Bunny sequel, set in the Locker 98 'verse: Bunny Calloway Takes the Stage