#andy serkis x reader

It was hard to not notice the lack of bustling today considering the Colony was usually so full of life with Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Orangutans and Gorillas shoulder to shoulder, eager to get things done for the improvement of their lives, but today? A well deserved break for all of them, your eyes fell shut and enjoyed the sensation of the heat against the thin skin, eyelashes tickling along your cheekbones.

Most of the Apes were bundled in their own homes with each other… How you wished to have that with someone. No one in particular, you tried to convince your train of thought from derailing towards Caesar once more and shuffled your shoulders a bit to cover the bits of your wrist that had popped out to the chilled air.

You probably looked crazy to them in your oversized jacket, layered atop a fleece sweater you managed to score a few years ago when the Winters started to turn for the worst, pink head cap that had to have been a child's but you managed to make it work against your flattened hair and a pair of sturdy cargo pants paired with your usual worn boots.

There were a few you spotted in your time standing in unwavering wait, never for Ape King in particular but… For something to do. Someone to talk to… It was a pack of two Chimps and three Bonobo’s who wanted to take a jab at what you would call ice fishing and you watched in amusement as they departed the front entrance of the Colony with their spears, their dark bodies becoming smaller and smaller until they disappeared in the white flurries between the trees.

They had fur, you knew that and gave a brisk smile to the fire in front of you as your gaze slotted open once more. Jealousy was not fitting to you but the idea of having a built in coat instead of having to layer seemed so nice… A luxury even but something tickled the back of your brain that you had no basis for.

Did… they get cold like you did? Wearing what you were, there was still a frigid aspect in your appendages, your blood felt like it was slowly taking its time running its course through your body and to the very tips of your fingers and toes. You’d never been allowed to touch an Ape before, you’d only admired the fur from afar when Caesar was near.

It seemed to thicken the last few months, but it was still evident in certain frames he put his broad body into that you were able to see the mild sheen of his skin underneath. So, not entirely covered, it beckoned you to answer it. Temptation yearned at your hands and trudged into your mind. Did… They get cold?

You caught hold of a bit of commotion from the direction of the horse paddock, not difficult in the silence that seemed to drain from the Heavens like the white snowfall. Recognizing the grunting as Luca’s, you slid your gawk curiously over and feasted upon the three bodies that you were able to admire. Such a Human tactic, prying into business that wasn’t yours but… Wasn’t that what Apes did?

They had very little semblance of personal space or even privacy; something you carried in your mind but it was hard not to take in some drama here and there when it was allowed. Rocket, Luca as you had figured and… Caesar. Hands were flying and capturing small flakes of snow between words, Rocket and Luca saying something to each other with flying hands before Caesar only nodded a slight departure. 

Nothing to be learned from that, you creased your eyebrows in and watched as the intimidating gait of the King himself came into a clearer view from the corner of your eye as you were adamant to ensure that he had not known you were looking for him, let alone staring. Caesar knew; it was something innate in the back of his mind when there was a set of eyes on him that were not meant to be at the time and more often than not lately, it was your glance that he would meet in the middle of a crowd. In the middle of his own people, there was a shift in Caesar only recently that tugged in the lower aspects of his desire to find companionship.

Human or Ape. You were interesting none-the-less and it was obvious in how he was looking at you upon his adamant approach. What… You were doing out in the weather, he had no idea. There was amusement scratching inside of his mind that you were waiting for him but that was not plausible as he saw the flushing of your cheeks, scorned red from the heat of the fire. You were warming yourself up and that was more of an obtainable answer to the Ape King.

Catching your breath in your throat at his stance as he came beside you, it was hard not to see the splaying of his toes against the slicken nature of the stone below, leaving heady imprints of his larged feet in the virgin snow. It was admirable as you were sure that if you moved with such a confident swagger, you’d be tumbling straight down the Colony’s slope and rear through the front gates on your back. 

“I-...” You huffed, watching the air escape your lungs as evident in the air in a white thrust of dust in front of your face. Swallowing hard, you shut your mouth and attempted to lubricate your dried throat and laughed slightly at your sudden onset of nerves. Caesar stared at you from his peripheral, mind cogging in on itself out of a desire to know what was going on inside of your own. Humans… They were expressive, the Ape thinks to himself but you?

You had this knack of covering up adverse emotions around him and it was frustrating. Fear? There was no way to tell. Intimidation? No way to deduce. Amusement? Maybe, he was able to smell your scent, vivid and natural as it was in his flared nostrils as he sneezed a snowflake away from being carded into his nose. Caesar drew a deep breath in, feeling the heat of the chill against his diaphragm like a blister against the muscles as you finally spoke. 

“Never seen snow here before. My grandpa… Used to talk to me about it. I guess back in… The day it snowed. Sometime in the 1970’s there was a big ol’ blizzard and it left the Bay pretty covered.”

“Ape… Adapt.” Caesar’s statement was clear and concise as if it were rehearsed. “Fur… Gets thick… in the Winter Months.” “Must be nice,” You smiled shyly, bringing the bottom half of your face into the collar of your jacket and kissed at the hem for a moment. Caesar watched with carded interest, snow falling against your lips and with a heated smooch, it was gone into condensed water and slid down the curve. “It’s hard now to find winter clothes that work. Most of the stuff I have is really old and falling apart. This jacket,” Holding your hand up, you waved the excess fabric around where you tucked your hand in on the arm of your garment. “Was a good find. I’d freeze to death without it, especially at night. Even without the snow it gets really cold----” “You do not… Have a fire.” That was not a question, more of a blanketed statement as it finally dawned upon him the inconsideration of not accommodating that. Hard to remember, he was quick to rationalize that and buried the desire to apologize for his lack of thought. Humans were weak with the cold. They had no fur. You--- Had none, Caesar drew another deep breath in at the consistent bugging in his brain that buzzed an urge to feel your skin against his bare and heated hand. Then, he’d be able to keep you warm himself… 

You had no resources any more to help other than layers like what was being displaying for him today, despite the displeasure in the innate fact that Caesar was unable to see the drifting of your breathing under such thick fabrics and it seemed as if your scent itself that was so warm and inviting was mildly dimmed too and washed with moisture that clung in the air. “Will…Take care… of that for you.”

“Soon?” You replied teasingly and earned yourself a rather stern stare from Caesar who huffed once more, a few more snowflakes making their home against his flattened nose. Cartoonishly shaped, it was one aspect of his otherwise striking face, burled and strong with the casing of his thickened fur around his features that appeared more delicate. The skin seemed slightly discolored around the bridge as well as less wrinkled than the rest of his face and you wanted to brush your fingertips along it to see if that was truly the case. 

Nodding his assent, Caesar peered at the sweeping of the bonfire and was able to feel the heavy heat coming onto his bare skin beneath the layers of his darkened fur. There, he understood the premise of why you were standing so barren by yourself. No fire in your hut, no other way to keep warm than to stand by the biggest of the fires that the Colony had to offer. He could… Offer you his own. 

No other reason other than the roof overhead to stop the drift of snow catapulting against your body and you’d adequately be able to warm yourself then. You’d even be allowed to stay the evening until Caesar worked something out with River, Ash and his own Son to fix the issue of your lacking blazed abode.

Would you… be accepting of that at all, if Caesar were to offer you to stay with him for only a night? Caesar hated to tear into the more Human nature of his thinking, it was years he went without speaking to one, without the pulling want to feel the reminiscent melancholy of his past and it was challenging to put himself into that mindset now.

Human Females were more sensitive and prone to embarrassment, you’d deny if he asked you to come stay with him and you’d most likely not even look him in the eye with your declining answer. 

Human Males would think nothing of the invitation. Will’s smile flashed in front of Caesar’s line of vision. Sitting atop in the attic, staring at the slated cold rain as it fell and his own young fingers playing with the condensation on his window that formed from the proximity of his hot body---.

“Do you ever get cold?” 

Caesar was torn out of thinking, his eyes focusing back in upon the rapture your voice brought him along with the fluttering beat of his heart against his rib cage due to the mixed exhilaration of opening the door of his past and the more animalistic tear that struck at the base of his neck at the prospect of taking you back to his nest and slotting his larger frame against yours. All in the sake of keeping you warm, he’d justify it as his teeth sank into your neck. All to keep you… Hot.

There was a small plume of chill evident in the air as you spoke, cascading against your line of vision as you looked at Caesar who appeared to be ice-caped now, your stare unable to tell what was his naturally graying fur versus snow caught between the small hairs of his fur coat. 

To see the fluffy nature of the flakes catering themselves against the very cusped outline of Caesar’s body was a masterpiece. His fur caught it… At least it appeared to before it leaked into his skin, somewhat water resistant in its own right and it was hard to pretend that the snow melting against his body heat wasn’t turning into small droplets of silver either to be casted to the ground below or to freeze against the tips of his nearly blackened coat.

Each of the white specks, individual and loved, seemed to highlight just how dark his coat truly was and how dense it appeared against the scape of his skin. Crunching below your weight rested an inch or two of white crisped and virginal snow that fell inwards with your steps as you allotted yourself to stand next to the imposing Ape King. 

Caesar looked at your mouth momentarily, liking the way that your breath was clear for him to see instead of having to rely on the rising and falling of your shoulders as was usually the case. Had you… He tilted his head only minutely, something that was not detectable to your eyes as you reached a fabric clad hand and wiped some flakes that were kissing your cheek away from minored annoyance against your already chilled skin. Had you truly never felt an… Ape’s fur before so you lacked the answer to that question? 

Surely, Caesar thought to himself and felt a deep rumble come from the bowels of his chest. Not bemusement in the slightest, but it cracked with ardent hilarity in the chortle that followed. From the look on his face, it appeared as if you asked a stupid question and you felt mildly scolded.

It… was a pretty stupid question to ask, obviously they got cold otherwise most of the Ape families would not be spending their afternoon in the homes in favor of braving the weather like you were so stupidly doing. His brow line rested endearingly against the stare of gold and green, the only color it seemed in the monochromatic backdrop that the snow eclipsed the Colony in with its silent fall. 

“Have you not felt… fur before?” “Sure,” You stammered, feeling heat rise between your legs to shatter along the vertebrae of your spine. It danced itself against the back of your skull, uncomfortable like you had bugs crawling in your hair under your winter cap. It was a question you had a ready answer to, expecting the blunted nature of the inquiry from a mile away. Caesar was like that; brash and willing to take what it took to get his point across, sometimes even to the point of acute and aggravated awkwardness on your part.

Maybe that’s what you found so attractive about him, your bottom lip drew itself between your teeth and you pensively nibbled at the flesh. Other than outward appearances that you found… Appealing…

  “I have plenty of animal pelts I was given when I first---” “Ape Fur.” Caesar corrected himself quickly, hoping it didn't come across as too aggressively forward, “Have not… Felt… Ape?” “O-Oh…” Nodding, you laughed awkwardly into the collar of your jacket and shook your head minutely, something the Ape King noticed as he himself nodded in understanding to your silent answer. “Uh… I’ve ne-never really been close to one before.” Your voice was cracking around the edges and you prayed to whatever God there was that it was not detectable from the shackling of the fire. 

“I mean, not that I wouldn’t like to be!” Were did that come from? W… Were you flirting? Your mind yelled and pulled in on itself as your cheeks deepened a shade not from the warmth of the fire, unable to look towards the Chimp who was so focused on the profile of your expression, trying to discern what you were rambling on about. “I didn't mean it like that--- I just…”

Groaning, you turned your attention back towards the fire rather than the broad body of the Ape beside you. “No. I’ve never… Felt… Your kind of fur before. Is it different than…” Racking your brain through the hides you had in your hut, you rested on one animal that you thought was a fair comparison, “Bear?”

“Not as… thick.” It was clear in the cadence of his words that Caesar paused to think of the correct adjective to use. It was always easier for him to sign his thoughts, speaking was only second nature with you. “O-Oh…” There it was again, that amusing plume of white around your face with your exaltation, Caesar watching with bated amusement as it faded closer to your forehead and you laughed slightly, shuffling your feet as you felt your toes becoming numb. This time… You were unsure if you’d be able to blame that solely on the cold or if the nerves had become too great to handle and the nerve endings in your body were flaring as an attempt to get out of the situation you found yourself in. “So you do get cold?” Caesar shifted his brow just slightly as he looked at you and posed the foreboding question that was always going to plague this conversation, “You would… like to feel?”

“No---”

“You may if you… Would like.” The overlaying of your lying denial with Caesar’s impressive acceptance of your curiosity tangled in your mind and replayed itself a few times. It left you feeling reeling as you processed and looked down at your feet, bringing your right foot forward and crunching down on the snow that resided there and scarred it with a half imprint of your boot. “I-I don’t want to feel like… You’re only doing this because---” “You should… Know if you are to live as one of us.” 

Your eyebrows creased at that, wild implications running rampant in the words that Caesar chose to use. You had never been one to doubt your position in the Colony, you were just a Human. Sometimes, it felt like you were a pet of sorts when you did something so strikingly Human and it garnered stares. Never once had the idea of becoming one of them by proxy cross your racing mind as you looked towards Caesar and finally captivated him in a dance with your full expression. With the ambient orange glow of the fire against the backdrop of the slaten white, you appeared confused at first until the Ape was properly able to see the creasing of your eyebrows and the slight drawing of your mouth upwards. There was no attempt to stop the frozen hackles lined against Caesar’s broad shoulders from rising out of anticipation as you pulled your hands out from the enclosure they were in, tugging at the mitten of your right that were condensing heat against the digits. Caesar admired the way your small fingers came into view, splaying themselves against the hardened cold breeze, sweat that was playing at his nose from between them all too enticing as you shoved the mitten into the crevice of your jacket pocket. 

Once again as you did out of nervousness, you tugged your bottom lip between your teeth and bit down hard, the pink skin turning momentarily the same hue as the crisped snow and Caesar held a hand out for your stability as you shuffled towards him to close the gap of less than a meter that was placed between you. Staring at the motion, you likened to the flakes that fell against his hot skin and melted upon impact. 

The pure white against the darkened flesh that had seen its share of demise and loss, the pull that his thick fingers had on you as you reached your hand out, accepting the help so you did not slip on the ice so you could readjust properly to touch him. All things, your mind needed to remind itself, were things done out of consideration of your nature. Not because of the attraction that flurried between Caesar’s eyes and your Lightly, the woolen nature of your left hand placed itself into the leathered drench of his palm and you peered at your feet as you twisted. There was irrational intimacy. There were no other Apes around and even with the blizzard of the flurries, would they actually be able to see anything as you released Caesar’s hand with a small smile of a ‘thank you’ and stared at his shoulder. So… You were just supposed to… Touch him? Apes… did not have the same attitude towards personal space, this was probably something as normal as breathing to them… Something as normal as sleeping… Gesturing your hand forward, it hesitated mid-air.

What if you touched him too familiarly? What if Caesar did not like the way you held him? Why would that matter!? The ration side of your brain dragged you back to your senses. There was nothing here other than an Ape wanting to expand your horizons to see them as not threats, but as a Family you had been accepted into without your explicit knowledge. Not that you had ever seen them as threats, your gaze softened as you broke the barrier of frost that was lining against his furred shoulder. 

Caesar resisted the temptation to release an exaltation and in return drew a headied breath inwards and let it linger in his lungs. He had not felt this… For so long, the running of another set of hands against his body out of disputed pleasure on both parties; disputed in his own way but not so much against yours as he was able to detect the change of your scent that was muffled. Amused… Arousal, juxtaposed and playing deliciously against each other.  

Not since Cornelia, Caesar resisted the urge to drop his eyes into a flattened state of vulnerability. Not since her passing, it never seemed appropriate to take in the minor delectation of what Caesar had been missing for nearly eight years now. It felt new. The way your hand shattered the tiny ice particles and drudged into the deepest core of his thickened coat, still thinned you realized compared to a bear's hide, Caesar had not been wrong in that aspect at all. It was incredibly coarse towards the fur line against his skin, softening as it draped inches outwards.

It was a ridiculing texture, beckoning into the primal part of your mind that it was all for show and that Caesar felt the way he did in order to draw you in. And you were drinking it up like it was water, metal shavings to a magnetic force of great power.

How sickly marveled you must have looked to him as you stammered a foot forward to get more as if your hungry hand was not already devouring everything it had wanted for the last month when the attraction to the Ape King sprang into your consciousness. It was so nice; the way that the coarse hairs tickled at your skin, the wallop of tufted mane rose and fell as you put forth a sweeping motion back and forth to study. Not a pet in the slightest, Caesar’s green and golden eyes flickered to the action you placed forth and released the tension of air he had held in. 

This time, it was your gawk that got to admire the way that the air dissipated from his thinned mouth in a crest of iridescent white near his face. Nearer than you had thought as you were able to feel the hotness on your expression. Caesar was more enjoyable than the stagnant and cold bear pelt you had as you could feel the high temperature of his skin right under your finger pads. 

“It---” You tilted your head to the side in wonderment as you grasped a handful and let it sink between your fingers. If Caesar was pained at all by the sensation of your pull, he did not show it as he was still as could be, perhaps a bit softened in his expression as his eyes hooded at the delicacy it was to be… Touched so affectionately. Human… Touches were different, the Chimpanzee decided. They were different, the muscle bounced in reaction to being touched as you brought your hand back to play against the grain of which his fur naturally grew, you were different with your grazes and Caesar wanted more. 

“It’s not as thick, you’re right.” That was said half-heartedly, needing to verbalize something in the moment to tear yourself away from taking your other mitten off and absolutely ravaging against his entire body. You wanted nothing more.

“As… I told you.” Caesar’s voice only waved around the edges, not detectable to your ears but it was racking against his own eardrums. A moment of seeped weakness at being touched. “So you do get cold?” 

You asked once again, looking at the King with slight cross eyes due to the proximity of which you held yourself against his commandeering stance. You could feel the tiny vibrations of his fur as it rose on reflex as your fingertips finally made more adamant contact with the muscles that draped below. Instantaneous it felt, the reaction and you found it difficult to pull away from the notion that Caesar was allowing you this pleasure in the first place. 

He was strong, your eyes ample at the back of your hand. Stronger than… you had thought, the muscles he carried against his bones were dense and hard, but how strong was he? Would Caesar be able to pick you up like you were nothing? Would he be able to snap your neck if you so desired him to do so? Maybe if you were lucky, he’d do just that. Maybe if you were bold enough and tugged at the fur in your possession would Caesar snap and take you---

In your touch that began moving with more intentions rested all of these questions, your mouth parting as you exhaled harshly in time with Caesar as he blew out of his nostrils; his own desperate attempt to keep his own questions at bay. Would you be willing to touch him harder, more fervently? Would you want to touch the fur on other parts of his body?

Against his chest, he’d let you run your hands down against the abs that were fleece lined and only noticeable at certain angles. Your stares during those times that Caesar caught you staring confirmed you were at least interested in feeling, or so he figured and kept to himself. Your scent at those moments in time told Caesar you wanted more than you were getting, or maybe he was running away with the idea out of piqued loneliness. 

What was he meant to think? What was the Chimp meant to feel? That tugging in the bottom of his stomach that danced downwards to flare against his pelvic bone. So Human by design it was, the urge to consummate out of a winded impulsed fun instead of primal desire to mate out of necessity.  Would you revel in feeling the hardening of his muscles and maybe even more if you so chose?

“Yes.” 

Was the response that was as simply put as anything else, Caesar’s tone nothing more than a rambling baritone caressing the innermost parts of your ears as if he were speaking directly into the shell below that body part. There was no need to complicate the matter. There was no need for Caesar to cure your morbid curiosity. There was no bridge that needed to be made as you swallowed hard, feeling the stiffening of your esophagus with that.

There were no others around to concrete the gap between Humans and Apes and it was resting on you now, your arm pulling itself back into your body as you squeezed your fingers together out of unspoken cravings that finally came to fruition. “It-It keeps you warm enough  though, right?” Caesar rolled his shoulder. Not to be taken as offensive, he was unsure of how to process the sensation of your hand print drilling into his skin now that he had gotten a small taste of it. Never again unless you were Mated. This was only to show you. To demonstrate and to satisfy your questions. You would perhaps touch another, his stomach churned in on itself out of unfamiliar jealousy. Caesar had no coping mechanism for that in itself ugly entirety. With the acceptance of you as part of the Colony, you were free to choose whom you wished and there had to be acceptance of that. There was nothing here other than Caesar’s want to help you understand Apes. Caesar’s… thirst to help you understand himself…  

Adjacently dilated eyes met yours as you felt all the air leave your body at once and the warmth that Caesar’s fur had blessed your hand with left you feeling chilled from the intensity of his stare, “Most… of the time.”

“And when it doesn’t?” “Ape… Learn to deal.” Caesar’s voice was once again a low grumble from deep in his chest, your gaze falling to the scar that lined his right pectoral and as you shoved your hand back into the homely hug of your mitten, scorned forever knowing that you knew how he felt, you wanted more. You wanted… To touch him there, downward…

Down his thick waist and against the pelvic bone. Pressing there would be a delight, you wondered how Caesar would react. Down his proportionally shorter legs and then back upwards against the grain of his fur and torturous with your intended languid pace. You wanted it all, feeling emptiness against your palm as it kissed the wool mitten. “Harder… for Humans to adapt. Harder to… Deal.”

“Unless you let me borrow your fur, then I don’t think I’ll be much use during the Winter then.” 

You muttered shamelessly, unsure if your voice came out as confident as it sounded in your mind. Unsure if your words even made sense to the Ape who had very little concept of flirting, let alone subtle flirting. It was reckless you knew. It was fruitless, no doubt.

But there was a tiny lingering shock of electricity that even Caesar could not deny when you broke set standards you both abided by day in and day out by letting the inquiry of the unknown come to light. You were riding on that as you peered at him, watching the crease form between his brows as Caesar ran through your words a few times to understand the deeper meaning. 

When Peter would read the books aloud to you as a kid, you would lay on his living room floor on your stomach, knees bent, feet kicking in the air, drawing what you imagined Rivendell to look like. You had a very particular image of graceful waterfalls, elegant columns, intricate architecture, and an almost pastel but not too child-like color palette. Eventually, that was how Peter learned to see it too. It indefinably became Rivendell to him, and he would accept no other person bringing it to reality other than you. It meant there was a high expectation on you but you were up to the challenge. You’d been dreaming about this your whole life.

You had some pictures drawn to show to Peter. You brought them in to the studio where they were finishing up figuring out the casting. They had the videos rolling, and a couple of the chosen cast already there. Including someone that you were extremely excited for - Andy Serkis as Gollum. You’d helped to pick him, since Peter had trusted your judgment. No one else had the correct voice for him. And then Andy surprised you all by being open to the motion capture and was able to move in weird ways. It was like these films were meant to happen. Everything was absolutely perfect.

“There you are!” Peter said with a big grin once he saw you. Even after all of these years, he considered you to be his best friend. “What have you brought for me?”

“More Rivendell, as tradition,” You said with a big grin, knowing that it was one of his favorites. “And some ideas for The Shire. I also have some rough sketches for the Mine of Moria. I was rereading Fellowship last night,” Your eyes wandered past him towards Andy who was talking to some of the crew. Everyone was allowed to have at least one weird crush, weren’t they? Yours was Andy without a doubt - though you were careful never to let it show. Peter would have teased you endlessly, and called the choice of him being cast biased. “So what are you doing here today, then?”

“Just finished up watching these. I’m liking this kid for one of the hobbits,” Peter pointed towards the screen that he was watching. A man was talking, and you could definitely see his resemblance to the hobbit creatures.

“I was thinking about scouting a few spots for The Shire that are on the approved list. Did you want to come with?”

“I’m a bit busy - you should bring Andy, and take some pictures.”

Thank God he was looking at the screen and not at your face, because your expression would have given your secret away. “Uhh - sure, sounds good boss.”

-

It had started from there and then began to snowball. Andy was a gentleman, and very professional on set but off of it - oh boy, was he ever a massive flirt. Hardly a day seemed to go by that you were there and he wasn’t making some sort of comment on how lovely you looked that day, and that you should be a part of the scenery because you were as beautiful as the nature around. And you fell for it hard. Not only that, his influence fell upon you and you found yourself becoming a more confident woman under these compliments.

On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, when you were stuck in the studio because it was too wet to film anything outside, you were in a secluded corner with your sketch book. Though The Hobbit hadn’t been greenlit (yet), you were already working on your designs. Thranduil was a favorite characters of yours and imagining the Woodland Realm was an old past time.

“My precious...” Andy’s best Gollum voice said, his fingers going towards your work. You laughed and swatted him away. “No show me the precious?”

“They’re not done and only half thought out,” You said, closing the book before he could take another look. “Not precious at all.”

“Everything you draw is precious. Come on, show me,” Andy urged. He had that look in his eye - the same one that he sometimes got after a hard day of filming. The one that showed that he wasn’t going to give up until he had completed what he set out to do. And right now, that was to see his drawings.

You sighed, giving in easier than you would have with anybody else. You handed it over and hid your eyes behind your eyes, too scared to see what his reaction was going to be. Other than a couple of hmms, he didn’t have all that much to say. He just kept flipping. Apparently he wasn’t limiting himself to what was recent, but going all the way back. If he didn’t stop....

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” You said, going to take it back from him. The first few pages in this particular book were occupied by sketches that you had done of Andy and of Gollum. You’d seen what the CGI team was planning, and Gollum was looking amazing. You weren’t ashamed of those pieces of work but that didnt mean that you wanted the focus of them seeing it. “So what do you think? Or rather - does Smeagle approve of the Woodland Realm?”

“Smeagle doesn’t like elves,” Andy said, making you laugh. He was good at staying in character. Almost too good. The way that he contorted his face was more than just a little bit frightening. But when he relaxed it and went back to his ordinary self - that was how you liked it best. “It’s really good. Better than most of the art that I have in my house.”

“Do you consider yourself an art collector?” You asked, having never heard about his house before.

“No,” He shook his head. “Just stuff from my nieces and nephews - and don’t tell them I said that about their art.”

“If I ever come across them, I’ll keep silent,” You slid an invisible zipper over your mouth and pretended to throw away the key. This was the early two thousands after all, such things were still ‘cool’.

“Oh you’ll meet em,” He said with a grin. He threw his arm around you, sitting on the arm of the chair. “I’ll fly you out to one of our big barbecues, you’ll love it.”

“Oh my, is that a privilege that you extend to all set designers?” You asked playfully.

“Just the special ones,” He said with a wink. “Just let me know if you want to bring a plus one.”

“Ha!” You laughed, shaking your head. “I wish. I work too hard to ever have a plus one. Though maybe I’ll extend it on to Peter, you know how much he loves a barbecue.”

“That he does. Anyway, I’m off to my trailer since there’s nothing more to be done. See you tomorrow!”

“See ya,” You said with a wave, watching him go. Once he had disappeared out the doors, you went back to your sketchbook. The room went back to being quiet - or it was until you started to overhear a conversation.

“That was obviously just his way of making sure y/n was single,” A young voice said, with laughter hidden within it. You kept your head low, drawing over the same spot over and over, but still listened. Eavesdropping was a terrible habit, but it was about you, so that made it okay... right?

“He’s only been in love with her for the past four years!” The undeniable voice of John Rhys-Davies said, chuckling. “The poor sap.”

“I don’t feel bad for him one bit,” The other voice said. You tried to place it without looking over, for that would surely just make them be quiet. You wanted to go on listening. They were telling you exactly what you had dreamed of hearing. “She’s obviously into him too, but neither of them will say something. It’s just getting painful at this point. Did you know that Peter has-”

“-bets? I already lost mine two years ago,” John grumbled.

“Ha! Mine is for not until after the premieres. I think I’ve got it in the bag.” You finally placed a face to that voice. Dominic Monaghan. The very one that Peter was judging to be right for the role when he sent you off with Andy to look at places for the Shire. “Though Orlando has within the next two months, so it might go to him.”

“Smarter than he looks, that one.” John said, appraisingly. “Did you hear that even Ian is in on it? He said he knows enough about repressed sexuality that it will be well into the development of Hobbit films! Hobbit films!”

“I’m not prepared to lose though,” Dominic said, and you could hear him rubbing his hands together. Oh, if they could only see the mortified look on your face, they would surely stop talking then, but you were much too humiliated to turn in their direction.

-

Dominic did end up losing. You saw him with a sour expression on his face during the last premiere. There had hardly been a conversation between you and Andy after he had invited you over to England for a barbecue, since things had gotten way too chaotic. Putting the movies together, reshoots, editing - it took a lot of hard work, even though the majority of your job was done. You had to move onto other projects, only coming back for the award ceremonies and the premieres. You thought about going and telling Dominic that you felt bad for him, losing the money in a bet about you, but he deserved it. He was wrong. If Andy was seriously flirting with you, you would have known it - surely.

Andy had gone off to other projects as well, and not much was said between the two of you. An occasional hello email but even those started to slow.

That was until you got the phone call from Peter that The Hobbit films had been greenlit, and he obviously wanted you and your designs to come back. This was what you were waiting for - and you couldn’t have been more happy. Peter had even added on that he wanted you to reach out to Andy before his manager did, because he deserved to have the good news come from a friend. You were a bit surprised by that, not knowing if Andy really did consider you a friend, but since it was Peter asking, you were obviously going to do it. You still had his emails, and one of them had a phone number that you had always been too anxious to use. You dug it up, tapped the number to your phone, and lingered by the green call button. Were you prepared to hear his voice after so long? You supposed the worst thing that could happen was this wasn’t his number anymore, so with that in mind, you pressed on the button.

“Ello?” Andy’s voice sounded just as you remembered - his actual voice, not the one that was Smeagle. He had picked up on the second ring, before you even had the chance to think of what you wanted to say. You were caught off guard until he greeted you a second time.

“Andy, it’s y/n y/l/n,” You said, finally. “I know it’s a bit weird to call you out of the blue like this. I have some good news though, it’s not one of those dark phone calls-”

“Y/n!” Andy said, sounding much perkier now. Almost as if he had just gulped down three cups of coffee within fifteen seconds. “I was hoping that I’d hear from you! Finally cashing in your offer of coming down for the barbecue? I never did forget about that.”

“Oh, well, not exactly,” You said, rubbing the back of your neck.  You never forgot that either. There were times when you wanted to bring it up but it just seemed like a weird thing to do. You didn’t want to just throw yourself into his life like that. You thought that the invitiation was a joke, something that Dominic, the prankster of the group, had put him up to, then taunted you with that conversation. “I wanted to tell you the good news. Or rather, Peter wanted me to tell you because he thinks you’ll like it best coming from me, for some odd reason. I’ll just get on with it then, heh. The Hobbit movies are a go, and obviously, we’re hoping to have you back for the riddle scene.”

“Excellent!” Andy said, sounding genuinely excited. “That is good news! Obviously my manager will be in touch to figure out the details but I am there!”

“It’ll be nice to see you again,” You agreed. That was one of the bits that you were looking forward to. That and seeing your artwork come to life once again. It was a magical feeling, and nothing compared to it.

“So, are you good to come down this week? The weather is supposed to be smashing,” Andy continued. “Perfect timing for you to fly on over. Do you have a preferred airline?”

-

You don’t know how he did it, but Andy had convinced you to get on a plane over to England. You were a bit antsy as you packed your solitary bag, not knowing what you should wear to something like a family barbecue. Should you bring a swimsuit? Would that be a bit too revealing for the friendship that you had going on? Should you bring a dress or something a lot more casual, like jeans? Why was this so damn difficult?

After spending far too much time over thinking, you chose a bigger bag to bring, and packed all of the options. You zipped it up, and decided that’s that. No going back now.

The flight was smooth, a little turbulence, but the movie was good. You could have designed the sets better, you thought to yourself slightly smugly, but all in all, it wasn’t bad. It was enough to keep you entertained until you landed on British soil.

Andy himself was there to pick you up, hiding behind a hat and sunglasses. But you could make out the distinct facial features anywhere. “Hello darlin,” He said with a grin once you walked up to him, wheeling your bag behind you.

“It’s so good to see you,” You said, accepting the hug that he offered to you. To your surprise, he grabbed the handle of your bag away from you, so he was the one carrying it along. “You don’t have to, I packed light.”

“I’m honored you came at all, so let me do this,” He said. You shrugged and let him, since it seemed to mean so much. “Things are already getting set up back at home, so we’ll have to hurry.”

You were glad you brought along jeans and a nice top because that seemed to be the dress code for the casual barbecue. There were kids running around in muddy clothes, having the time of their life, adults were sitting on lawn chairs with the grass between their bare toes. It was as un-formal as it was possible to be. You were introduced in turn to each of his siblings who greeted you like you were family. It was odd but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. They had all heard so much about you from their brother, and loved the work that they had seen of yours. One of them even remarked on a drawing of yours that Andy had framed up inside of his house.

“I bribed Peter for it,” Andy shrugged when you looked to him for an explanation. “What? I told you that you were fantastic.”

“You could have just asked me,” You laughed. “I have enough spare drawings around that I could probably wallpaper your house with them.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Andy winked.

The company was amazing. You got along well with everyone, and managed to find things to talk about with each one of them. The kids were adorable, and they showed you their artwork inside of the house, pointing at it proudly. They also talked your ear off but you didn’t mind. They reminded yourself a little of you at that age - not because of how chatty they were but because of how much passion they had behind what they were talking about. The adults were all kind without being condescending in any sort of way. The food was mouth-wateringly delicious - you had no idea that Andy could cook like that. You ate so much you felt like you were going to burst, but still helped yourself to the ice cream that was passed around after. As the sun began to go down, the kids began to get sleepy and their parents began departing to take them home until it was just you and Andy, sitting in the messy backyard beneath the darkening skies.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He asked, slightly hunched over in his chair.

“Not at all. And notice how I kept the secret?” You teased, taking a drink of the beer that you had been nursing most of the evening. It was only your second of the day, and it seemed a perfect way to bring together the night. “You have an amazing family.”

“They thought the same of you,” Andy stated. You could feel his eyes on you, though you were looking up towards the sky most of the time. You were still too shy to look over, knowing that your feelings were all over your face. Truth be told, seeing him like this, in a casual environment surrounded by loved ones - it made you fall even harder. You felt like a school girl with a crush rather than a grown woman.

“That’s flattering,” You said with a nod, lowering your head. “Thanks for inviting me. And making me stick to it.”

“Well I wanted you here,” Andy got to his feet, and had a good stretch. He made a lot of noise as he did it, which made you grin. Old man noises, you used to call them, when your father did the same thing. He then offered you his hand. “I’m thinking about taking your drawing from the frame so you can sign it. Do me the honors?”

“I’d be more than happy,” You said, taking his hand and getting to your feet. But it didn’t stop there - he continued to hold onto your hand as he lead you into his house, which was growing familiar to you. Your bag was in the spare bedroom, and you could see the faintly muddy footprints of the kids running through the halls. He took you into the living room where your drawing was. It was one that you had done of Rivendell - one of your specialties. You remembered giving it to Peter for work, not as something to keep. You had almost entirely forgotten about it.

The frame came down off of the wall, and Andy skillfully opened up the back of it to slip the drawing out. He even grabbed you a pen and watched eagerly as you scrawled your signature in the lower corner. “There you go,” You said, pushing it back towards him.

“You always made the sets feel more like reality than fiction,” He said, taking a look at it again. You could see appreciation all over his face, and damn if it didn’t make you feel good. Fiction was something that you always wanted to make a reality, so even him saying that was just so in-tune with yourself.

“Thanks Andy, that really does mean a lot,” You nodded, sitting down on the couch. He joined you after securing the drawing back into it’s frame, and looked over at you with a smile.

“Did you have fun today?” He asked.

“The most fun that I’ve had in a long time,” You admitted. “Seriously, I didn’t know that I needed that until it happened. You have a great family - no wonder why you’re so happy all the time.”

Andy laughed at the last bit, surprising you. “You only see me happy all the time because I’m around you!” He stated, resting a hand lightly on your shoulder.

“I make you happy?”

“Of course! Why do you think I invited you here? I like being around you.”

“Enough to perhaps consider this a date?” You ventured, the little bit of alcohol in your system and the euphoria of the day had given you enough confidence to push that forward. Andy seemed a little taken aback by that, and just as you were about to tell him that you were joking, he started to speak.

“Normally I don’t introduce to my family until we’re official but I knew that you were special,” He said, a big grin spreading on his face, making him look near child-like. “But yes, I’d like today to be considered a first date. And a second tomorrow, perhaps?”