J’s blog ☀️

Pairing: Dean Di Laurentis  x Reader

Word Count: 930

Request open!

Off campus masterlist

 Dean Di Laurentis found the letter by accident.

That was how all dangerous things started.

He was helping you look for a charger in the drawer beside your bed,your room, not his,and was mostly digging through random papers and old receipts when he pulled out a folded sheet of notebook paper with his name written across the front in handwriting he immediately recognized.

He stopped.

Then, very slowly, he looked at the paper again.

“Why do you have this?” he asked.

You turned from where you were sorting through a pile of clothes and froze for just a second too long.

“Because that’s my drawer?”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “That is not an answer.”

You stared at him. “Dean.”

He looked at the paper, then back at you. “Is this about me?”

You reached for it immediately, but he lifted it out of your reach with one lazy movement that was far too familiar and unfair. “Nope.”

“Dean, give that back.”

Now he was interested.

“You wrote me a letter?”

“It’s old.”

He looked at the folded page again, then slowly unfolded it.

Your face went hot instantly. “Dean.”

He was already reading.

You crossed your arms and made a noise of protest, but he held up one finger without looking away from the page, the kind of silent “wait” that would have been ridiculous on anyone else and somehow was not on him.

Then his expression changed.

Not dramatically.

Just enough.

He read the whole thing in silence, and the longer he read, the quieter the room became.

When he finally lowered the page, he looked at you with an expression so soft and stunned that it made your chest tighten immediately.

“You wrote this before we dated?”

You groaned and covered your face. “I hate you.”

Dean was still holding the letter. “No, seriously. You kept this?”

“It was private.”

“It has my name on it.”

You peeked through your fingers. “I know.”

He looked down at the page again, then back at you. “You wrote that I was ‘annoying in a way that makes the room better’?”

You made an agonized sound. “Please stop reading it out loud.”

Dean’s mouth twitched. “You also said I looked ‘ridiculously pretty when I’m pretending not to care.’”

You dropped your hands. “Okay, you know what? I am leaving.”

He caught your wrist before you could move. “No, you’re not.”

“I am so embarrassed.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“Yes, it is.”

He held the letter loosely in one hand and your wrist in the other, looking at you with far too much amusement now. “You liked me.”

You glared at him. “Obviously.”

He laughed under his breath. “You liked me so much you wrote a secret letter about it.”

“It was not secret.”

“It was in your drawer.”

You pointed at him. “You invaded my drawer.”

He lifted a brow. “I was looking for a charger.”

“That doesn’t help your case.”

Dean smiled, but the teasing had gone softer around the edges now. He looked down at the letter again, and when he spoke, his voice was quieter.

“You thought all that before I asked you out?”

You hesitated.

Then nodded.

He studied you for a second. “You really meant it?”

You blinked. “Dean.”

“No, I’m serious.”

Your expression changed a little. “Yes, I meant it.”

He was quiet after that, gaze moving over your face like he was trying to decide whether to keep teasing you or say the thing he actually wanted to say.

Eventually he folded the letter carefully and set it on the bed beside him.

Then he stepped closer.

“You know what’s unfair?” he asked softly.

You looked up at him. “What?”

“You thinking I didn’t notice you before we got together.”

Your heart gave a hard little thump.

Dean’s hand came to rest at your waist, warm and certain. “You think I was the only one pretending not to feel anything?”

You stared at him.

He smiled a little, but it was gentler now. “I kept telling myself not to ruin it.”

Your brows drew together. “Ruin what?”

“This.” He shrugged, the motion smaller than usual. “Us. Whatever was happening before we made it official. I was afraid if I said anything too soon, I’d lose you.”

That made your throat tighten immediately.

You looked at him carefully. “You were?”

He nodded once. “Yeah.”

Then, because he apparently wanted to make your entire evening emotionally complicated, he added, “You had no idea how hard it was to read that and realize you liked me the whole time.”

You swallowed hard. “You’re not allowed to be that sincere after reading my embarrassing letter.”

He smiled, warm and crooked. “I’m  Dean Di Laurentis. I can be sincere and annoying at the same time.”

You laughed despite yourself.

Then he kissed your forehead, the letter still sitting on the bed between you like evidence of how long the two of you had been orbiting each other before you finally gave in.

And when he pulled back, he looked at you with that same soft expression.

“For the record,” he said, “I’m keeping it.”

Your eyes widened. “Absolutely not.”

He grinned. “Absolutely yes.”

“Dean.”

He laughed and slipped the folded page into his jacket pocket. “Too late.”

You stared at him, horrified. “You are impossible.”

He leaned down and kissed you once, quick and smug. “And you wrote me a love letter before we were even dating.”

“That was not a love letter.”

Dean smiled against your mouth. “Sure, babe.”

summary: in which logan proves, once again, that loving someone means making space for the life they actually want, not the one everyone expects.

pairing: john logan x fem!reader

notes: hi!! this was such a lovely idea, thank you for your request! 🥹 i hope you enjoy <3

ꪆৎ

the conversation starts innocently.

all eight of you are at the hockey house, sprawled across the living room after dinner.

dean and allie are tucked into the corner of the couch, her legs thrown over his lap while he absently plays with the sleeve of her hoodie. tucker is half-sprawled across the rug, sabrina sitting beside him with one hand resting absentmindedly in his hair. hannah is curled into the armchair beside garret, socks on, knees tucked to her chest.

you’re pressed against logan’s side on the other end of the couch, your legs draped over his lap while his hand moves lazily up and down your shin in slow, absent strokes.

you feel comfortable, safe.

the conversation drifts the way it always does, towards the future.

"i feel like dean is going to be such an annoying dad," tucker says, the words leaving his mouth unprompted.

dean immediately looks offended. "annoying?"

allie snorts beside him. "you would be."

"how?"

she grins. "you would act chill until one of our kids get a cold and then suddenly you would be googling every symptom and trying to call three different doctors at once."

sabrina laughs. "unfortunately, that sounds incredibly accurate."

garrett smiles from where he’s leaning back on the chair, arms crossed loosely over his chest, clearly enjoying the direction of the conversation.

hannah glances over, her eyes landing on you two. "logan would be good with kids."

everyone turns to look at him, because of course they do. logan is easygoing, warm, steady, patient in a way most people don’t fully notice until they know him properly, so of course the idea of him as a dad feels easy to imagine.

he lifts one shoulder. "maybe."

allie grins. "logan as a girl dad, i can definitely picture it."

everyone starts laughing and throwing out opinions. dean says absolutely not, tucker insists logan would be wrapped around his daughter’s finger, sabrina agrees immediately.

logan just shakes his head, smiling faintly. you laugh softly with everyone else, but something in your chest feels tight.

small, uncomfortable.

the conversation keeps moving. future houses, engagements, marriage, kids. always kids, like it’s inevitable. like it’s just what happens. slowly, the warmth of the room starts feeling strange.

too small, too loud.

the truth is, you’ve never really wanted that. not children, not in the way everyone seems to expect. a part of you has always felt quietly guilty about it.

every time people talk about the future, they talk like children are the obvious next step, like it's the goal, like wanting anything else requires justification.

logan’s hand stills against your leg, just briefly. he notices the exact second you go quiet. he glances down at you. you’re smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. his thumb brushes lightly over your knee in small, gentle strokes.

you know that look, the one that says he’s noticed something, clocked it, stored it away. he doesn’t say anything yet, just keeps listening.

allie turns toward you. her expression soft and curious. "what about you, y/n?"

you blink. "what?"

"kids."

the room goes quiet enough that suddenly all you can hear is the television murmuring in the background and the humming of the fridge in the kitchen.

allie’s expression softens instantly, not pushing, simply asking out of curiosity. you hesitate. logan’s hand squeezes your leg once, an obvious attempt at providing some comfort.

you swallow. "i…" you let out a nervous laugh. "i don’t know."

logan says nothing, he just watches you, waiting, giving you space. your voice comes out quieter this time.

"i don’t actually think i want kids."

silence.

your heart pounds immediately. you hate how vulnerable saying it feels. you stare down at your hands twisted in your lap, fiddling mindlessly with your fingers.

"i don’t know. i just…" you exhale shakily. "i’ve never really pictured that for myself."

your voice drops softer. "and i always feel weird saying that because everyone talks like it’s just what you do."

nobody interrupts, nobody looks shocked, so you keep going.

"but i don’t think i want that kind of life."

your voice wavers slightly. you look up. nerves written across your features.

"i want a future. i want love and stability and a home and all of that."

your throat tightens. "i just don’t think kids are part of that for me."

the room's completely silent, until your boyfriend speaks up beside you, calmly.

"yeah."

you turn to him. his expression is soft, completely unbothered. his hand slides from your leg to lace your fingers together, reassuring you, backing you.

"me neither."

the weight of his answer hits you all at once. you blink, trying to gather your thoughts.

"what?"

logan’s mouth lifts slightly. "i said me neither."

you stare at him, your eyes widening, completely stunned.

"you don’t?"

he shakes his head once. "not really."

his thumb strokes over your knuckles. "i’ve never felt strongly about it. never really pictured that for myself."

your chest tightens. not painfully. something warmer, something bigger, something that feels dangerously close to relief.

"why didn’t you ever say anything?"

his expression softens even further. "because you never did." his words come out simply, like his answer is obvious.

"and i figured if it mattered, we’d talk about it when we were ready."

you feel your eyes sting, tears threatening to spill out. somehow logan had taken the thing you felt most scared to admit and made it feel safe. made it feel normal, made it feel okay.

logan leans closer, close enough that everything else fades slightly at the edges. his voice drops, quieter now, meant only for you. suddenly, the moment feels achingly intimate.

"baby, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a different life." his gaze doesn’t leave yours. "people act like there’s only one version of happy."

his fingers squeeze yours gently in assurance. "there isn’t."

his smile is small, warm, certain. "maybe our version looks different."

your throat feels tight. "our version?"

logan’s smile grows. "yeah." his voice is impossibly soft now. "you. me. us."

his free hand gestures vaguely around the room. "some nice place." his lips twitch. "probably a dog." a small laugh falls from your mouth, and he smiles in response.

"maybe two dogs."

tucker immediately cuts in. "you two would absolutely own the most spoiled dogs on earth."

dean nods once. "that part is true."

the tension breaks, and it feels like the entire room exhales, like everyone relaxes.

allie smiles at you from across the couch, gently, understanding. "for what it’s worth," she says softly, "there’s nothing wrong with that."

hannah nods, adding on. "at all."

sabrina smiles. "happy is happy."

you look back at logan and notice him still holding your hand. still looking at you like nothing about this sudden opinion had changed the way he saw you. if anything, he looks softer, like he’s glad you said it, glad you trusted him enough to finally vocalise it.

you lean into him, quietly. "two dogs?"

logan grins. "minimum."

you laugh, finally breathing properly again.

The price of fame

actor!Dick Grayson x actress!reader

CHAPTER 2 — Every movie Dick Grayson has ever starred in has been a success, but the public doesn't seem pleased with him working in other types of movies outside of his usual genres. That's why the marketing team had to come up with a radical decision: promoting the film by having Dick and you fake a relationship.

!!: angst. fem!reader. no capes + fame au. slowburn, fake dating, enemies to lovers. +1.7k words (this chapter). not important OC appearance. English is not my first language. A/N: things are getting better!!! I hope you guys like this. And, as always, comments are reblogs are most appreciated. follow for more :3

[serie masterlist] ; [previous chapter] [next chapter]

As soon as it was announced that you and Dick were going to star in the movie, your names were all over the headlines. The fans were freaking out. Dick and you were coming back from a year of hiatus. The world was going crazy.

His name was making enough noise for the movie to cause high expectatives to the public. Having Dick Grayson as Charles, the main character, was a treat. The key for a movie to be popular. But, like every project, the movie couldn’t rely on the fame of one person. And the results of that were showing. 

After two weeks of the announcement, all the hype that had built up since then, had died. In fact, all that enthusiasm of seeing Dick Grayson in a rom-com, outside of his usual roles, had brought an extreme wave of criticism that was affecting the movie itself.

A week before the filming even started, the internet was already flooded with comments saying that the movie was “too cheesy for Grayson” or “a complete disaster that was going to ruin Dick’s career”. 

These comments were powerful, even more than whatever promotion strategy the marketing department could come up with for the movie. And suddenly, the movie everyone was waiting for, was already categorized as the “greatest disaster of the year”.

That was what brought you here. At one of Warner Bros’ Boardrooms, with their marketing team and other people involved in the movie.

Like Dick Grayson, seated right across from you. He looked relaxed, confident. His back was resting against the chair while his hands were intertwined over the large table. However, his jaw was tense and his eyes narrowed. He was not nervous, but something was bothering him.

A lot of things could be the cause of his attitude right now, stuff that was bothering you too. Like the immense silence that was filling the air, or the spokesperson—once he had dared to finally speak—avoiding completely the central topic they should be discussing.

Next to you, your agent didn’t look bothered at all. He just sat there, waiting patiently, like he had all the time of his life and would gladly use it to hear someone rambling about some stupid comments people make on tiktok.

Across from you, Dick’s agent didn’t seem pleased at all. She was excellent at hiding her annoyance, unlike you or Dick, but it was her polite coughing that made the poor marketing boy stop with his neverending speech.

“I’m sorry, It might be only me, but from my point of view you are not giving us the important information, and you are avoiding entirely the reason the two main actors had been called here.” 

Dick’s agent was a young woman, around your age. She had long ginger hair and green eyes, framed by a pair of glasses. You didn’t know her name yet, but she looked intimidating.

The spokesperson, a boy named Garrett, froze after her comment. He looked like a kicked puppy. His eyes were wide, his lip trembled and the papers he was holding with both hands started folding due to the force with which he was gripping them. 

“Yes. Sorry. To sum up, the expectations for this movie are worse than expected. The reason you two had been called today,” Garrett’s eyes moved from you to Dick while he talked “is because the promotion for the movie involves both of you actively.”

From the rim of your eyes you saw how Dick’s entire body shifted to sit properly on the chair. With his back straight and his elbows on the table, he was angled forward, but his entire expression was still tense. 

You, who had been quietly sitting on your chair for the past twenty minutes, finally decided to talk. “And, what does this promotion consist of?”

Garrett looked nervous, which was weird. When the marketing department presented an idea, they needed to be absolutely certain it was the project they wanted to sell—the one that would work and cause a reaction in people.

“Yes, so, what we want to do is cause a reaction in people by letting them see your reaction.” Poor Garrett couldn’t explain to save his life. 

Dick frowned and bit his lip. You raised an eyebrow and opened your mouth slightly. Dick’s agent rolled her eyes and yours yawned.

“Would you mind explaining better?” Dick asked.

Garrett nodded and swallowed before talking again. “We want people to think that this movie is worth watching because they are going to see you two fall in love with each other during the making of it.” 

To say you were speechless was not enough. 

“See you two fall in love with each other” 

No one, no man or god, was going to see you falling in love with Dick Grayson ever.

“Could you clarify, please?” Dick asked, he didn’t seem bothered at all by the bomb Garrett had just dropped.

“Yes. The final decision to promote this movie is for you two to fake a relationship.” Garrett repeated. Loud and clear.

“Is that the only option we have?” You asked, looking directly at the boy. Your desperation for a plan B present in your voice.

No. You couldn’t date Dick Grayson. Anyone but him.

“Unfortunately, we have discussed uncountable options and none of them could cause as much of an impact as this one.” 

Across from you, Dick dropped his body back onto his chair and turned to face his agent. 

“What do you think Babs?” His mouth curved into a tiny smile.

Barbara looked at you and then back at Dick. “Well, I think this could be positive for your image. After an entire year dissapearing because Kory broke up with you, you could finally end the ‘Manchild’ allegations. Besides, as far as I know, she isn’t problematic, so this could be beneficial for the movie and your persona.” She explained, nodding towards your chair.

Dick understood the situation. He had never been asked to fake a relationship before, but he was willing to do so just to promote this movie. 

Fuck him. He had never done a rom-com before; he was only doing this because Kory loved rom-coms and he was having the worst time getting over her. He wanted to get her attention. Some fans had already noticed this, of course, and maybe they were right but it wasn’t giving Dick a good image. Dating you could be somehow the remedy to that.

Barbara, better than anyone knew Dick’s situation. She knew this fake relationship was the ultimate key to cleaning up his reputation. And, as far as she knew, you needed this too; you weren’t as popular as Dick, and this could help you rise in the industry.

Dick turned back to face the marketing team, not after giving you one last look. He saw your frown, how you discussed with your agent without raising your voice. He could tell you weren’t pleased with the idea of fake dating him, but it wasn’t like either of you had a choice.

Dick smiled at the marketing team before saying: “Where do we have to sign?” 

Spring in California was your favorite. With sunny weather and flora blooming everywhere, it was the best season before the dry and hot summer. And today, on a random Friday in April, the outside breeze was helping you calm down.

You didn't have another option, the contract was right in front of you and across from you Dick had already signed it. You were now Dick Grayson’s fake girlfriend.

Your plan had been to ignore him as much as you could during the filming, and then tolerate him during the press tour, but now you also had to walk around with him, acting like you were in small getaways from work for paparazzis to spot you and the internet to start theorizing about you two.

From your spot, outside of the building the contract had been signed in, you could see all the people working. The actors and actresses relax after filming for hours. People running around with all the costumes and wigs for another film.

You could also see the stage where your movie was going to be filmed. You couldn’t tell if the feeling compressing your chest was excitement or the sudden, terrifying realization that there was no turning back now. 

“Hi”

You recognized him instantly. His deep and masculine voice, always wrapped up in a warm tone, like a heavy blanket over his words. 

Dick walked out of the building until he stood right next to you. 

“You didn’t seem pleased with the decision while signing the contract,” he pointed out.

“That’s because I wasn't pleased.” 

“Right. I’m sorry. You might be dating someone and this can make things complicated,”

“I’m not dating anyone.” You didn't know why you had answered so quickly, denying Dick’s thought of you in a relationship. “I’m just not comfortable with the idea of faking something like this. Relationships are complicated, and once people find out about this, things will end badly either way.” 

You finally turned to look at him and you were surprised to find Dick already looking at you.

“Yeah. I know that, better than anyone.” He thought about him and Kory, how everything had ended and the reaction of the fans once they announced their break up.

The fact that you would never be able to please everyone was something you needed to accept once you entered this industry. Everyone is going to have an opinion on everything you do; every decision you take, who you talk to, who you don’t talk to. And having a relationship with Dick Grayson was going to ruin you.

“I’ll try to be the best fake boyfriend, though,” Dick smiled, trying to ease the tension. 

However, you didn't smile back, you were too deep into your pessimistic thoughts that you couldn’t even fake it.

“We’ll see about that.” You said giving him one last look.

You started walking away from the building, looking forward to getting home as quickly as possible, but Dick calling you name made you stop on your tracks and turn around to face him one last time.

“At least can we get to know each other better? I mean, to make this more realistic.”

This was going to be a nightmare, and you had only just fallen asleep.

[serie masterlist] ; [previous chapter] [next chapter]

© llovelygood

Never meet your idols

Actor!Dick Grayson x Actress!reader

CHAPTER 1 — You never imagined that your potential new co-star—and your character’s love interest—would turn out to be the person you hated the most.

!!: angst. fem!reader. no use of y/n. enemies to lovers. no-capes + fame au. second person narrator. reader's pov (dick is not ooc, it's just reader's perception of him at the beginning of the story, give it time). +2.7k words. A/N: It's finally here!!! thank you to my beloved moots, @fancy-possum for explaining me everything I needed to know about the audition process, and @jxn3 for proofreading and editing this. And thank you for 400 followers. As always, comments and reblog as most appreciated.

[serie masterlist] ; [prologue] [next chapter]

The first time you saw Dick Grayson was at the cinema, when you were eleven years old. Your father, extremely happy that his daughter had developed an interest in his favourite movie saga of all time, had decided to take you to the cinema to watch the latest movie of the franchise.

It was not a secret that Bruce Wayne in the leading role was fantastic, the best decision the casting directors could have made for the main character, but the real newness was Dick Grayson's first appearance on the big screen. 

That day, you came out of the cinema with the dream of becoming an actress self-confirmed, and a new crush: Bruce Wayne’s adoptive son, who became Hollywood's greatest promise from that day on. 

An innocent crush at eleven was nothing compared with the wave of obsessive fangirls Dick had once he turned sixteen. All the teenage girls were divided into two groups: The ones madly in love with Justin Bieber, and the ones who were head over heels for Dick Grayson.

You, of course, were part of the second group. Because the guy was handsome, talented, rich, and also only one year older than you. 

At eighteen, your parents started letting you send auditions for small roles or parts in commercials. If you were lucky enough, you were contacted to be an extra in a very small production. No lines, or more than ten seconds on screen, but it was better than nothing. 

At twenty-two, you were finally noticed by a big production, giving you a supporting role with some lines in just one episode of a series.

And at twenty-five,  you finally started to be known in the industry. Your life changed, you had a reputation as an actress: you were famous now. And who would have told you that one year later you would have met your first crush ever and be completely disappointed by him?

You had seen Dick on the red carpet. With a wide, white, and charming smile and a perfectly tailored deep navy blue suit. He stood tall in front of all the cameras, while being showered by the flashes. It was impressive how much time he could hold it without blinking, even though the lights were blinding him. It was probably the years of practice, of growing up in front of cameras, that he must be used to them by now.

He looked ethereal, and you felt out of place. You had won your place in that industry with your blood, sweat, and tears. You deserved your spot at that award show. But seeing him so natural, just like the other actors, actresses, movie directors, and important figures around you, made you feel strange. 

A weird feeling of not belonging, of not being good enough to step on the same floor they were walking on, settled in your heart, making it feel heavy.

And you had been so excited of just greeting Dick, telling him how much you admired him as a person and as an actor, but before you could you heard it .

“They have offered me another role for this movie that’s going to be filmed somewhere in France. It’s been so long since I did a proper audition, I kinda miss it.”

It was nothing bad, just Dick Grayson, the talented actor you had followed your entire teenage years, confessing to his friends that it had been a while since he did his very last audition. Just him confirming the power the title ‘Bruce Wayne’s son’ holds in the industry, and how that leads to gifted roles.

No. Dick Grayson was not overrated. The guy was talented, and you couldn’t deny how much work and time he devoted to his projects. But he never had to fight to be recognized, to be chosen.

It wasn’t that line he said that affected you the most; it was the laughs and the stupid comments he and his friends made of every single movie presented at the event. Every harmful comment would be excused with an ‘it was just a joke’, but they were grown adults, not stupid teenage boys anymore. And when the film you starred in was announced, and one scene of your character played on the screen, one of his friends said “At least she’s hot.” and Dick dared to laugh. 

You hadn’t seen him laugh directly. Your eyes had been fixated on the enormous screen the entire time. But the three boys were right behind you, and all those stupid interviews you had watched at 15 made you recognize his laugh almost instantly.

The comment hurt, because they were implying that your effort hadn’t been enough. That you weren’t talented. That you didn’t belong. And Dick’s laugh meant that he agreed. 

The man who had been your idol for over a decade was agreeing with someone who had just mistreated you without knowing you were right in front of them. 

Dick could be the best actor in the world, but he definitely wasn’t the person you expected him to be.

The film market was oversaturated with sequels to films that had already been made. It was strange to see an original story on the billboards. This also meant that looking for new actors for leading roles was not happening at all.

You weren’t complaining, but the fact that your manager wasn’t finding any offers for you to audition for, or any business calling you to reinterpret an old role for a sequel, was frustrating. 

But there was someone who was strangely absent and had been for the past year, just like you. Dick Grayson hadn’t shown up in any new movie or come back to play any of his characters in any sequel. He was alive, of course. Paparazzi had seen him around Gotham during winter, and in his house in Los Angeles during summer. 

It was obvious that his absence was making more noise than yours, and it was also evident that he was the one who chose to take a break while you tried to find new projects to work on, with no luck. 

Until you received a call from your manager.

“I have an offer for a movie that is expected to come out in two years, around June. It's a rom-com and the description for one of the female characters fits perfectly with you.”

You jumped out of excitement when you heard your manager’s words on the other end of line. You had been waiting a whole year for this moment, and it was finally happening. 

“Do you know what the movie is going to be about?” You asked, biting the skin around your nails, a strange fixation you have had since you were small.

“As far as I know, it’s going to follow the catastrophic love story between Alexandra and Charles. She’s a frustrated and unknown writer who self-publishes her books under a pseudonym, and Charles is a man who’s a regular at the cafe she works at and is also a huge fan of her books, without knowing she’s the writer.” Your manager explained.

“Cliché. I love it.” 

“You need to send the audition tape next week. I’ll send you all the details via email.” 

You nodded alongside your manager’s explanation. You couldn’t keep your smile to yourself; it was big and shiny, full of happiness. 

You were going back to acting, you were going back to your work, your favourite thing. And a rom-com no more, no less. Since you were a child, you had always said how much you would love to work in a rom-com, and this one was your opportunity. You were going to get that role.

You spent the entire week preparing your self-tape, and you even called one of your best friends to help you with it. By Wednesday, it was sent, and now everything was up to the casting director and their team.

Some weeks later, your manager called you to inform you that the in-person casting was going to be that same Friday. This was it, you were going back to the big screen.

You weren't unfamiliar with the casting process; in fact, it had a weird feeling of mystery and thrill to it that you enjoyed. So when you arrived at the building the casting for the rom-com was going to be held, you didn’t feel nervous at all, just happy to have this opportunity and determined to do the best you could.

“Good morning.” The casting director, a middle-aged woman seated in the center of a large table, greeted you with a warm but professional smile. Seated next to her were the other people working on the casting team, the writer and the director of the movie himself.

You shut the door with a soft click behind you once you had fully stepped into the room, and smiled at everyone. It was important to show a positive mindset in this kind of process, as if you had to show yourself as a professional and confident person, without coming across as  too rude or arrogant. 

“We would like to see you perform a scene of the script that had been sent to you a couple of weeks ago. Do you have it here?” The woman asked, pushing her glasses back in place with her index finger.

“Yes.” You smiled and picked up the script you’d printed out before coming here. 

“Then, please, go to the second act. Now, on the self-tape you read for Shiera, the protagonist’s best friend. However, on the callbacks, they had chosen you as a potential option to play the main role, Alexandra.” The woman explained, her eyes moved from the script in her hands to you, standing in the middle of the room.

You nodded, keeping the smile on your face as professional as possible, you couldn’t show how excited you were to have reached the final stage of the casting process for the lead role in the film. 

“Now, the actor that is going to play Charles should’ve been here twenty minutes ago…” The casting director’s eyes narrowed. Her eyes were locked to the door, looking hard enough to burn a hole through it if she could. 

That was when the door flew open with a loud thud. 

His eyes were bluer than they appeared on the screen; his hair was longer than usual, his skin was tanned, and he certainly looked as strong as he was. He had an apologetic yet charming smile on his face, and in his right hand he clutched the movie script far too tightly.

Dick Grayson had walked into the same room where you were auditioning for what could be your next movie. 

“Hello, good morning, sorry I’m late. The traffic in Los Angeles is horrible.” He closed the door and took off his jacket with an over-the-top ego, placing it carelessly over an empty chair. He was acting like he owned the place. If the first impression you had of him a year ago hadn’t been the best one, this did definitely not fix the image you had of him. 

The movie director sighed but put his professional smile back on when he looked at Dick, now standing too close to you.

“Good morning.” He then looked at you. “Meet Richard Grayson, he is going to play Charles in the movie, and we would like to see how you both would work together.”

You could feel your heart racing. Maybe it was because the man next to you apparently didn’t know anything about social distance and was standing way too close to you. You could step away, just one step to your left, but it would seem rude, or the director could sense it as you being uncomfortable next to him and directly dismiss you as an option for Alexandra’s role.  

Maybe Dick wasn’t your favourite person in the world, and working with him didn’t sound appealing at all, but this was the best opportunity that had been given to you for the past year, and you weren’t going to let a man ruin this for you.

“The plan was for you two to play some scenes from the second and the third act, but we’re going to skip to the first scene in the third act, since Mr. Grayson has made us lose twenty valuable minutes of our precious time.” That passive-aggressive remark didn’t seem to affect Dick, as his charming and confident smile didn’t waver at all. 

Both of you turned to the page the director had ordered, then turned your bodies to look at each other.

Having Dick in front of you, this close, felt unreal. He was taller than you had expected, and the smell of his Jean Paul Gautier cologne filled your nostrils. 

Then he looked at you, and his blue eyes met yours. They were a very distinctive shade of blue—not light enough to look gray, but deep enough to be compared to the sea. Trapped deep within those irises were the ghosts of the past: a sadness and a longing masked by an overwhelming personality.

“Action!” the director said.

“I just don’t understand, Alex. He’s clearly trying to steal your work. Can’t you see it?” Dick, now deep into Charles’ character, said. The pupil in his eyes had dilated, and his body and voice had completely folded into a way that perfectly captured the character’s frustration. 

“He’s helping me. It’s not my problem that you are suspicious of everyone, Charles. God! You’re frustrating sometimes.” You played Alexandra’s character with so much ease, like a double skin. 

“I’m not suspicious! I know for a fact that that guy is not going to do anything good, and you are giving him access to the novel you've been working on for years.” Dick read the lines, but it sounded so natural coming from his mouth.

“I trust him. Why can’t you trust me?"

“I trust you, I just don’t trust him.”

“Then you're either jealous or you’re lying to be and in reality you really do not trust me at all.”

“I– Alex, I’m not jealous, he's just–.”

“You are jealous.”

“I might be, yes. Listen to me, Alex. Stop talking to that guy, stop this, everything you have with him. Let me be the one.”

“Are you going to help me find a way to get my book published?” You read with the same feeling of disbelief Alexandra would pour into that sentence.

“I would do anything for you just to see you happy.”

You raised your eyes from the script and looked at Dick, who was already looking at you intensely.

“Stay like that for a minute.” The director whispered from the table.

Both of you obeyed. Your chest rose with every deep breath you were taking, and your eyes were moving rapidly, scanning every inch of his face. On the other hand, Dick looked calm, but his eyes sparked a curiosity that couldn’t go unnoticed. 

Your bodies were still closer than they should. You could’ve moved away, but you didn’t, and he hadn’t made the effort either.

“That’s everything, thank you to you both.” The director said, leaning back on his chair. 

The chemistry read was over. The next call you would receive this month would be the last one, the one that would finally tell you if the role was going to be yours or not. 

“Thank you.” You said while picking up your things.

The director smiled and told Dick to stay. 

Once you had gathered your things, you turned to look at Dick, and he smiled at you. A weird, sincere smile that reached his gorgeous and soft eyes. The guy’s beauty really was breathtaking; it was such a shame his personality was so rotten. 

“It was nice meeting you, I’m Dick.”

His voice was somehow nice, and it had a really warm tone hugging every word coming out of his mouth. You swallowed your pride as you held the sharp response forming in the back of your mind, so instead you mimicked his smile and told him your name.

“It was nice meeting you too, Dick.” 

Except it wasn’t, and if you ended up getting the role, then you would have to deal with a spoiled,  self-centered nepo baby who had been handed this role on a plate, just like the other characters he has played throughout his career.

© llovelygood

[serie masterlist] ; [prologue] [next chapter]

I never thought I would be doing a whole project about the House of Black for uni, but here's one of the three moodboards I have to do 🫡