#charley-koopa

It's Cliff he tells first, incredulous as he tells him how you walked away. And it's Cliff who hits him with a laugh and the words that kickstart his spiral:

"You've met your match, buddy."

While it was meant as a joke, Rick couldn't help but dwell on it. All night he thought about it until he devised a plan.

Next day on set, Rick played it more casual.

You noticed the change immediately. And you found it funny.

You knew about Rick's reputation, so it wasn't unexpected. In a way, you found it endearing.

But still, you didn't return anything he offered. Even when you were rehearsing your kissing scene, you held firm.

The second time you walk away with a wave and grin, Rick is filled with determination.

His chat with Cliff is less annoyed ramblings and instead more hopeful. By the end of it, he realises he actually likes the fact that you're not throwing yourself at him.

It makes him feel like he did pre-fame. When he could walk down the street and not get recognised and life was simpler.

For the duration of your shooting together, Rick tries different approaches.

The charm comes back, but goes the same day.

He tries to act entirely disinterested, but then you ask him to eat lunch together with that smile of yours and he cracks.

He even tries inviting you out for a drink one Friday after filming, but fumbles when you place a hand on his arm and instead asks what your favourite drink is.

He ends up buying you a bottle and gifts it to you on your next day of filming together.

Finally, he uses Cliff as a wingman. But you and his buddy actually get along like a house on fire. It annoys him at first, until he realises what Cliff is doing.

You start hanging out with Cliff, and by extension, him, most days on set after that.

Having Cliff around to provide some banter and support, the real Rick starts to shine through.

Quickly, you realise you actually like the Rick who is just being himself. His stutter surprises you, and his embarrassment the first few times it slips out warms you from head to toe.

You barely even notice the day that Cliff doesn't join you two for your usual lunch time chatter. You're too caught up in whatever story Rick has from a weekend of drinking recently to question where Cliff is.

You begin to notice how your more intimate scenes leave you with a feeling of... butterflies. That's the best way you can explain it.

It's the way, before filming starts for the scene, he gives you a genuine smile and some small words of encouragement.

That continues until the final day of shooting; by the end of the whole thing, you find yourself blushing before each take and struggling to hold eye contact. You even start giggling at his jokes.

You don't even remember the last time you giggled.

The final time you say your farewell in the parking lot, you give Rick a kiss on the cheek before turning to walk to your car.

He watches you dumbly, as he did the first time. But this time, however, he lets you take only three steps before he calls out your name.

"Want to have a-a-a-a-a wrap-up drink?"

His nerves are damn near palpable in the air. You turn to look at him with that sweet smile of yours and find yourself shyly nodding.

"I didn't think you'd ask!" You say with a pep in your step as you walk back over to him.

You don't give him a chance to worry about your car. By the time he realises you've said yes, you're already halfway to his car.

Like the time Larry thought someone was being genuinely rude to you, and he immediately rushed to your defence; he made them apologise and then placed a gentle, warm hand on your knee under the table whilst telling you to ignore the other guy. You definitely didn't tell him how that made you feel.

When Larry talks to you about business, he stands incredibly close. Close enough that you can feel his body heat and smell his expensive cologne. His voice goes quiet, and if you're in public, he'll lean down and speak lowly in your ear.

A lot of the time, he stays close beside you after the conversation is finished... and then you notice he starts staying close to you even when you're not directly talking.

He sits next to you, stands beside you, and keeps an eye on you. You've caught him a few times gazing at you from across the room, and you're always the first to look away.

You ask him once why that is, and he replies that "someone's gotta look out for you around these dogs". He smiles at you afterwards, eyes twinkling. There's silence, and you swear, for a second, that he's going to go for a kiss. But then he tells you to hurry up into the car because he wants food.

On one job, everyone has to room up together. Unbeknownst to you, Larry fixes it so that you're rooming with him instead of anyone else. It's the first time you see him in anything other than his "work" clothes, and the way he makes casual conversation whilst you're fresh out of the shower and wrapped in a towel has you questioning some things about your professionalism.

Lingering touches happen a lot with Larry, too. Whether he's lighting your cigarette and cradling your hands, cradling the small of your back and guiding you through a crowd, or offering a hand when you exit a car and holding you for a few moments too long, he seems to always be the first one to offer himself to you.

Pet names from Larry? Absolutely! If you've worked together for years now and have a repetoir, he'll happily call you honey, sweetheart, or babe. While it started off as a joke, the way he murmurs "careful, honey" into your ear in passing makes you think there's an ulterior motive... and makes you blush.