heard your name in every love song {Ben Hardy}

EPILOGUE // i love everybody because i love you

"So they're not technically dating," you explain to Tye before filming starts; he's got his head in your lap, reading through a few pages of the script, and you're gently carding your fingers through his hair, "they're just hanging out while Alex is in town filming." You explain, and he lowers the paper he's reading from, giving you as look as if to prompt you for more information.

"And?"

"And nothing," you shrugged, "just making conversation," and he rolls his eyes, but his smile is fond, "Egghead," you add, poking him in the cheek.

It's the end of the first week of filming; they're hoping to get most of the live-action shots done before suiting you all up for the in-game, motion captured scenes, and you're both enjoying the morning. You're on a roof garden, the crew milling about, repositioning various fans to create more wind, as Spielberg was reviewing some footage from the day before; the breeze isn't particularly sweet, though that's unsurprising given the local of the shoot, but the sun is warm, and the off-the-shoulder sweater they've put you in is comfortable. You'd already spent a good part of the morning warming up, so now you're just waiting for filming to get underway.

"Alright, Tye, Y/N, can you both reset by the door, we're about ready to start," Spielberg calls over to you, and Tye sits up, getting to his feet and stashing his script out of sight for the moment.

We're rolling. Action!

Tye identifies landmarks that will be added in post, IOI's building, "The Stacks" where he'd lived, before his home was blown up –

"We've been living this close to each other the whole time?" His tone is softly disbelieving; with his lost-puppy expression and oversized jacket making him look all soft and warm, it's easy to fall into character and give him nervous, half-pining looks. Your character, Artemis, still feels like it's a risk to get close to him, but she can't help herself; you hope that reads in the way you're regarding him.

"Next door, around the world," you shrug, moving past him, the wind blowing your hair out of your face; you've been put into a cute, auburn-toned wig to better fit the camera, an incredibly high-quality lace front, that now works exactly as intended, blowing carefree in the artificial wind, revealing the large birth mark the makeup team had given you, "it's all the same in the Oasis."

As if realizing what's happened, you deliberately move your hair back to hide the birthmark, gaze dropping from his.

"For the record," Tye stumbles over his words, all young and nervous and in love, "I'm... I'm not disappointed." And you look to him, make eye contact as you let yourself feel your thinly veiled surprise; "you know you... you said I'd be disappointed when I met you, but I'm- I'm not."

"I've lived with it my whole life, you don't have to pretend," you tug your sweater a little tighter around you, walking away from him, going to sit on the makeshift bench that had been set up amid this small slice of urban paradise; he follows you in earnest, looking far too gentle. He brushes the hair out of your face, revealing the birthmark, his hand warm, though you avoid his gaze.

"You have a birthmark," he tucks the hair behind your ear, "so what?" And he gently lifts your chin, fingertips warm when they linger, "why would that scare me?" And in character, you hesitate in the face of such unfiltered kindness, and you reach up, taking his hand, marveling at the contact; it's the first time your characters have touched one another in real life.

"Z, if I hurt you, I'm sorry," you tell him as honest as you can manage, and it takes him a moment to try and wave it off before he's grinning and laughing at the realization that you'd called his character by his in-game avatar's nickname. His smile and laugh is a familiar comfort.