secrets_and_lie

02:38 pm: RPF: maybe this is why
Title: maybe this is why
Pairing/Character: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring
Word Count: 1300
Rating: PG-13
Category: RPF!
Spoilers/Warnings: If you've seen VM S1, you're good. Takes place during the shooting of M. A. D.
Disclaimer: This is FICTIONAL. This NEVER HAPPENED (unless it totally did).

A/N: This is entirely embellished_me's fault. She voiced the thought and I could NOT get it out of my head. And so I sat down and wrote this. Or maybe I wrote it in a dream. Wasn't me. Someone else broke into my LJ and posted this. Yup.

A/N2 (and this is important): DO NOT READ IF YOU LOVE KRISTEN BELL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.



Kristen Bell gazed at her reflection in the small hand mirror with a frown. "Not enough eye shadow. I can barely see it. And more of the gray, not so much blue."

Susie, the long-suffering makeup artist, her own makeup Goth-like in its theatrical intensity, suppressed an irritated sigh. "I don't think that's the look they're going for here."

Kristen swiveled around on her stool and gave Susie a level stare. "Do it."

Susie blinked. "Maybe a little more shadow couldn't hurt."

Kristen gave her a blindingly white smile. "Exactly."

Ten minutes later, made up to – well, not her satisfaction, but at least a little closer – Kristen sauntered out of the tiny makeup trailer and crossed the manicured lawn of the "Echolls" estate. She loved shooting here. It felt like luxury; she could imagine herself walking up the path to her very own mansion in the hills, earned from her twenty million dollar fee on her latest blockbuster romantic comedy, her face splashed across the billboards along Sunset, her smile shining out from People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly, strolling up the red carpet arm in arm with Kevin – or, no, make it Colin Farrell or even Hugh Jackman, so what if he was married? Hollywood marriages never lasted anyway.

On her way inside the house, she passed through the living room, where they were setting up lights and tracks. The stand-ins sat on the couch, looking bored. Kristen blew a kiss to the camera operator. He had a little crush on her, which she fostered whenever she could. It was useful to have the guy in her thrall. It kept him motivated to keep her looking good on camera.

From the looks of things, it would be at least fifteen minutes before they'd be ready to shoot. And she'd left her magazine in her trailer. Damn. Well, Craft Service had set up in the kitchen. Maybe they'd finally gotten a clue and started stocking healthy organics instead of that Trader Joe's crap.

Most of the crew was busy in the living room; Jason Dohring was the only other person in the kitchen. He was perched on a stool at the counter, reading over the script and munching on an apple.

Kristen swiped a granola bar from the food spread and eyed Jason. When Rob had told her he was going to be Veronica's love interest now, she'd nearly choked on her veggie burger. What happened to Duncan, sweet, dopey Teddy Dunn, who giggled at her jokes and put his hand on her thigh during table reads? He was easy to twist around her little finger, he always let her upstage him, and besides, he was easy on the eyes. Jason was so very serious, so into his Craft (which, whatever, acting wasn't supposed to be that hard, so chill, dude), and so gawky, besides. All long face and high forehead and ultra-earnest "I loved Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront" actor shit.

But then she started working with him more, and something about him -- those dark eyes, gazing so intently at her like he wanted to devour her, the way he moved when he walked toward her in a scene, the way he kept noticing her, kept turning toward her in the Neptune High hallway scenes, even the way he leaned against lockers and doorways – she started thinking about him when she wasn't even on set. Started kind of, well, noticing him. Maybe even a lot. And he got more attractive the longer she looked. It was strange. Uncomfortable but also kind of exciting.

Then they kissed on the balcony of that cheap-assed motel. It was clear Jason hadn't done much screen kissing, because he was jittery and giggly, his elbows were in the wrong spots on the first take, and his head was angled toward the camera when he should have let her face dominate the frame, but by the seventh take, he'd gotten the hang of it. They had to stay lip-locked a long time for the crane to finish doing its thing. By the time she walked down the concrete steps to that damned rat-trap of a prop car, her lips were tingling and she couldn't help wondering what it would be like to kiss him for real.

And now they were alone in a room, no cameras, no directors, no crew members snickering behind their hands about the sexy stuff. They were alone and they were about to make out like crazy in the next scene, and, well, why not? She licked her lips. "Hey, Jason."

He looked up from his script with a smile. "Hi Kristen, I didn't see you come in."

She raised her eyebrows and gestured to the script in his lap. "Got that next scene all figured out?"

"Yeah, uh, I thought, well, he's, this is the first time he's had her in his home as his girlfriend and not one of the Fab Four, so it'll be a little awkward, like, kind of shy. And then when he points out the sea water urn, it's sarcastic, but would it have a hint of sadness too? His mom did just die and he's reminded of her, but then Veronica's there and he's all giddy with that, so…"

Kristen walked toward him, giving it a little seductive sway, nothing too overt. "Maybe we should rehearse it right now."

Jason put the script on the counter and stood up. "Yeah? That would be great."

Kristen was right next to him now, by the granite counter. She could feel his breath coming a little faster with her nearness. Good. "Yeah. I'm having trouble figuring out my motivation right… " She slid her finger across the open script page until she got to the first kiss. "Here."

He looked where she was pointing. Swallowed. "Um, Kristen, I don't think that's a –"

"You believe in rehearsals, don't you, Jason?"

"Yeah, but –"

Her face was inches away from his. He looked transfixed, his dark eyes wide and glazed. And she hadn't even kissed him yet. She licked her lips. He exhaled in a nervous, quick breath.

She pushed up against his long, lean body, and kissed him for all she was worth. And it was –

Not happening.

Jason grasped her firmly by the shoulders and pulled her away, then stepped back, dropping his hands by his sides. "I don't think you meant to do that. I'm married, you know that. You've always been nice to Lauren." His voice was unsteady and soft. "I'm gonna go watch them setting up. I'll see you there in a few."

He grabbed the script from the counter, blindly fishing for it, and walked to the doorway, where he paused for a long moment. "We'll never talk about this again, okay? It was a mistake. It could happen to anyone."

And then he was gone.

Kristen slammed her fist into the granite countertop. It hurt like a motherfucker.


~*~*~


A month and a half later, a few days after their first kiss aired, Kristen went to a big industry party at Spago. She smiled at the photographers lining the sidewalk, air kissed the fans watching along the ropes, and stopped for a short interview before heading inside.

"Kristen, what do you think of Logan and Veronica hooking up?"

She pursed her mouth, suppressing the shock of hate that coursed through her like an adrenaline rush. "I don't think Logan is a long term guy for her, you know? He's a bad boyfriend. He starts bum fights and hangs out with disgusting boys and sleeps with anything that moves. He's just morally corrupt. I think Veronica could do a lot better."

And she smiled.




(Since I can't exactly post this to veronicamarsfic, can you guys pimp it for me? If you like it, I mean. If you hate it and hate me for writing it, um... don't pimp.)

Tags: fan fiction, rpf, vm, vm fic