The past several days had been a bit of a whirlwind, but that was the very nature of set life. They were making their days, which was an absolute plus, so they weren't tacking on extra shooting days -- not yet anyway. Over the last few days, Gemma felt like she was really stretching her muscles in Elizabeth's skin. Scenes in their office, yelling about the abhorent inequality of Harvard not allowing a woman to get her damn doctorate from them. Radcliffe was just as good they said, and Gemma felt the heat of anger rise in her during those scenes that women still had so far to go when it came to equality. It helped fuel those scenes, which often ended with her taking a bit of a walk between setups. Gemma wasn't often someone who really took her work home with her, but the feeling of a character did linger a while within her. She liked it that way, feeling like there was a twining of souls for a while. Usually it took a drive home with some choice music to bop along with to make Gemma feel more like herself. She liked to call it a debriefing. Elizabeth stuck with her well however, and she liked it. She felt like her bold spirit matched well with Elizabeth, and even more so bolstered Gemma's.

Monday was a new day, after a couple of days off for the weekend. Gemma had spent the days with a little self-care. An afternoon in the park reading a book, a massage on Sunday. Room service and early to bed after studying her lines for a couple of hours. The early to bed would have worked a lot better if she had actually been able to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her mind instead kept her up, swirling with what would be awaiting her the next day. Big scenes of the trio, but most importantly -- Veruca back on set. The thought made her smile more than it should have. Oh well.

After going through hair and makeup, next was wardrobe and spending a little time in her trailer before one of their AD's knocked to bring her to set. She caught up with Luke on the walk over, who did some predictable ribbing at the idea of the lie detector scenes. Gemma simply rolled her eyes and said he should just focus on remembering his lines -- a call back to the Friday when the both of them fell into a complete fit of giggles when they kept stumbling over the same lines. That's what a fourteen hour day would do to a person.

Once on set, she greeted their director and gathered her sides, leaning over by the window and glancing down at the pages in hand. Her attention was stolen the absolute moment that the particular tall blonde walked on the stage, a smile gracing her features as she raised her hand in a small wave. She wondered why just seeing the woman made her heart thunder a little harder in her chest.

Veruca was in good spirits when she came back from her trip. The wedding had been nice, with fewer people asking where her girlfriend was than she anticipated, leaving her to wonder whether her friends had realized what she knew all too well.

Haley wasn't around a hell of a lot.

All in all, she'd had fun, though the grind of back to back travel and rush to get on a plane to get back to location had taken a bit of a toll on Veruca. She still managed to head to the coffee shop Gemma had taken her to before work. It had become theirs in her mind and though she usually liked to wait to have her chai with her co-star she downed it on the way in over in hopes that something hot and caffeinated would help her wake up more quickly.

She was somewhat surprised at how happy she was to be back on set and seeing Gemma across the room amped up that excitement tenfold. She returned her wave then waved the coffee she was holding enticingly, making a show of placing it in the small fridge by the catering table before miming that she was going to make up.

She'd built up more of a rapport with the costume department, striking up a particularly fast friendship with an assistant named Nicole. She and Veruca shared a love of vintage fashion and Nicole swore visiting Veruca's friend's shop was first on her list the next time she was in New York.

The make up girls were nice enough, but they seemed to sense Veruca wasn't much of a talker, quickly branching off into their own conversations while they worked.

"Did you hear about Gemma and..." The rest of the sentence was somewhat muffled as the woman took a sip of her iced latte, but her friend nodded eagerly.

Veruca raised an eyebrow but quickly composed herself as one of the artists, Kelsey, brought a tube of lipstick near her face. She had never been one for gossip and had even less tolerance since dating Haley meant she was the subject of it these days, but she was undeniably curious about Gemma and what these girls knew.

She didn't encourage them to keep going, but there was no denying she was listening carefully to what they might have to say.

There was much to catch up on, and Gemma for one couldn't wait to ask Veruca about the wedding, or how she'd got on back home. How was New York, that bustling city she loved? It was so close, all places considered, but it felt like a ways away. She felt as though space could have been any given distance when Veruca was off elsewhere. Surely that was a dramatic way of looking at things, but well, actors were a dramatic sort, weren't they?

Gemma didn't bother to quell her smile when she spotted Veruca carrying the cup, a fond tilt of her head towards the other woman as she nodded her thanks. For the moment, she was distracted away from the notes on the scene Angela was giving them.

Always a big believer in having no "us and them" when it came to cast and crew, Gemma was always affable to the people working their asses off on a production. Sometimes, every now and again, that tipped into having a favorite few people she enjoyed talking with more than others. Rarer, but still happening, that led into some kind of flirtation. Mostly harmless, but Gemma enjoyed the art of making a woman blush. For whatever reason with Veruca gone, she'd justified something in her own mind, not that she needed to, that Veruca did indeed have a girlfriend, so she shouldn't be the subject of such flirtation, right? Gemma respected boundaries, or tried to.

Rebecca was one of their prop department stars, often in charge of handing off the jewelry Elizabeth wore, the props she needed for whatever scene. She wasn't Gemma's usual type whatsoever, but the woman surprised her with a bold attitude and a good sense of humor. They got on well, and she wasn't hard to look at. Easily put, their relationship was a fun one, made up of joking with each other and edging into gentle flirtation when it seemed right. Gemma didn't like giving a crew reason to gossip, but she did enjoy Rebecca's company. Not quite so much as other women who made her feel ... different things, but enough. Harmless, really.

Once her place was marked and they called for the second team to come in for lighting, she walked over to get her coffee, smiling all the while as she went to sit where they'd set up the trio of chairs for the actors to wait off the main set. Though she was busying herself with checking e-mails on her phone, she kept glancing up to see when Veruca might be making her way back.

Veruca had only spoken to Rebecca a handful of times, but had a decent enough opinion of her. The other woman was friendly, competent and pretty enough that even she had taken a second glance, but this new development had sent her into something of a tailspin. She was suddenly wondering just how much had happened while she was away and if things would be different now that she and Gemma had been apart. Had Gemma found a new friend? Veruca was usually content with her own company, but something about the idea left her feeling angry and abandoned, like a middle schooler whose friend had suddenly started eating at a different table at lunch.

But movie sets were, by nature, dramatic. Gemma and Rebecca were both friendly people. Maybe someone had seen them having a conversation and blown things out of proportion. And if it was something well, that was good too. She had meant what she said in Connecticut about Gemma deserving better than what her (admittedly mysterious ex) put her through. She deserved someone great.

But Veruca still felt lousy.

She studied her reflection once she was in costume to see how everything came together. There was no risk of her attempting to smuggle home anything tonight. Pink, one of her least favorite colors, had never really suited her. Not to mention the thickness of the sweater (and her current annoyance) had her feeling a bit hot, but the make up team had worked wonders. Veruca didn't look as tired as she felt, though she did wish she'd gotten a second chai as she headed off to find Gemma, and not just because she was craving caffeine. It seemed wrong not to have their drinks together.

But hey, maybe she was having drinks with Rebecca now.

Veruca pushed the thought out of her mind as quickly as it came, sliding into her usual middle seat.

"Well, at least you got a cute outfit," she teased.

Gemma had made the joke a couple of days ago if Angela had set out a wide net for any and all queer members of their industry to join in on this set. When Angela had merely smiled and shrugged, Gemma said it was no wonder she liked it so much. She liked a set that had a familial atmosphere, where everyone could feel comfortable and just as easily hang out together after work as work well beside one another. Knowing how safe their space was going forward only opened up Gemma all the more, allowing her a certain freedom to feel the power of playing such a formidable woman. She didn't worry about the people around them, and so she could enjoy herself on a different level. Maybe that was why she took to flirting so well with Rebecca -- she was in a perpetually good mood when on set.

With Veruca back, she felt there was an added layer to that. The lingering glances and touching that they'd build up for Olive and Elizabeth wouldn't be hard on her end in the slightest. Building tension properly, especially with erratically shot scenes could be seen as an art form, and she had the utmost trust in their ability.

Still, for whatever reason, she didn't like the idea that Veruca might notice even the gentlest of flirtation between herself and the other woman. It felt ... showy, somehow.

She was all of one sip into her drink when she saw Veruca approaching, a smile immediately lighting up her face. "What, the blue?" She laughed a little, wrinkling her nose as she tugged on the sweater. "A little bit baby-blue for my taste, but I'll take it." She smiled, adjusting in her seat as she took another sip. "You always look good though. It's infuriating." Gemma shot a wink her way, her smile never entirely waning.

"Thank you for this. I was utterly lost without you the past few days. How was the wedding? Did you get utterly pissed and dance in a conga line?"

"No and no," Veruca said with a smirk. "There was one of those terrible coordinated couples dances when they came into the reception, but it was pretty nice over all."

Parties weren't really Veruca's thing. She was easily overwhelmed by crowds and had never really been a drinker, preferring to keep her wits about her. But she did love to entertain, often hosting small gatherings at her apartment so she'd have an excuse to cook or decorate.

Her friends often joked she was something of a Martha Stewart (and she'd begrudgingly agree that she could be just as particular about things), but she often enjoyed preparing her little get togethers more than she liked attending them, though a lot could be said for the power of truly good company.

She bit back a smile at Gemma's compliment, never quite forgetting that her co-star had apparently been busy during her time away. Veruca knew she should reciprocate and ask Gemma what she had been up to over the weekend, if only to be polite, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was almost afraid of what she might hear.

If she heard anything at all.

She considered Gemma a friend but she wasn't sure if the other woman felt the same way about her and even if she did. There were levels of friendship and some friends you just didn't go spouting off about your love life to.

Though Gemma had managed to get Veruca to do that without even trying.

Not wanting to dwell on her latest argument with Haley or just how vulnerable she had been (and was still feeling) with Gemma, she mumbled a 'you're welcome' before nodding toward the set. "Can we just talk about how truly messed up this next scene is? I mean, yes, Olive technically signed on to be a lab rat and it's a conversation that needs to happen but their little game of twenty questions is kinda cruel, don't you think?"

"Oh, come on. It's all in sociopathic fun," Luke boomed, sliding in to his chair beside her.

"That's sweet, if entirely cavity-inducing." She chuckled, looking up from her sides as she put them on the little tray table next to her chair.

Gemma did love a good wedding, but she found especially the older she got, the more pressure so many of them put on the single folk who attended. Beyond old grandmothers or aunts and uncles making barely-veiled comments about "when is it going to be your turn?" or something equally obnoxious, the very celebration of a coupling felt like a pressure to her. She loved seeing her friends fall in love, be in love, but the slightly emotionally stunted part of herself always felt a bit disconnected.

It was really no wonder her engagement fell apart. But that was in her past and she was not staring down the barrel at any wedding or ceremony that had anything to give her pause. The biggest party in her future was likely the wrap of this film, and that was months away. They had a lot to do first.

Gemma opened her mouth to reply, when Luke barreled in to answer first. Rolling her eyes, she mused over the fact that it seemed the three of them so naturally fit into their roles already. "It takes a sociopath to note it as such." She ribbed him, chuckling a little bit.

Her gaze fell back to Veruca. "I agree with you. It's a bit sadistic, even if it does move them all in the right direction. I suppose some harsh truths only come out under some sort of duress."

"And there's definitely duress. I mean, the poor woman can't even lie if she wants to thanks to the actual lie detector."

Luke smirked. "So it's a little high stakes truth or dare."

"You're insane," Veruca muttered, pulling her sides out of her totebag, idly twirling a highlighter in one hand while as she read before Angela announced that they were going to get started.

Veruca was fascinated by the lie detector, though a bit worried about the logistics since she was the one who had to be hooked up to it. She tilted her head as she studied the prop, looking up when Luke asked,

"Is it real?"

"Of course it's not real," Veruca said, sounding a bit like a know it all sibling correcting their silly brother. She turned to Angela, gesturing toward the machine. "So how does it, um...."

Angela sat her down and started showing her where the cables would go, Veruca letting out a tiny snort once a few were wrapped around her chest, muttering softly to herself, "So the bondage begins..."

It was a joke more than anything. Veruca was a pretty amiable sort and willing to do whatever needed to be done for a role, but she was a tad claustrophobic. She took a deep breath as she stood up again, reminding herself that any discomfort would probably help her channel Olive's more easily, but there was no denying this scene would be a bit trickier than she anticipated. She was just hoping she wouldn't have to sit through too many takes.

"It's mean, but Elizabeth has always been a bit of a bitch, and owns it well." Gemma said with an amused shrug. One of Gemma's favorite things about the character happened to be how much she owned who she was and what she wanted -- even if it sometimes took her a minute or few to get there and articulate it properly. She was a woman who made a decision and stuck to it - to her own detriment at times. Gemma understood that all too well.

A semi photographic memory had always been a huge blessing for Gemma - she tended to get off book very quickly, which allowed her to play with the emotion and inner workings of a scene. Easier to do without Luke joking around.

Their call to set was a relief, which also gave Gemma a familiar swell of anticipation in her gut. A feeling that lingered and grew all the more as she watched the way the contraption was hooked up to Veruca. She smiled softly at the joke, though she took care to note how it was strapped on and placed on her body. She told herself it was because she'd have to hook her up to it for some of the montage footage they'd want to use, but even she wasn't buying that entirely for the reason behind her rapt attention.

It was a fake lie detector machine, wasn't it? As they began preparation for the wide shot, Gemma pointed towards Luke with a warning, "Behave yourself." As though she were already in character. Her smile turned to Veruca before she moved to take her mark, leaning over by the desk as she ran through her lines in her mind a few more times, using them to sink into her character a bit more naturally by the time Angela called for action.

Veruca took a moment to center herself. She'd begrudgingly begun to get used to the cable wrapped around her chest. It wasn't tight but it was constricting, the extra bulk under her armpits awkward and foreign. Still, she sat up straight, knowing it was important to exude strength in this scene. She needed to appear unfazed even though each of Will's questions was bound to rattle her and tear down her defenses a little bit more.

It was an interrogation. The same sort of interrogation lie detectors were used for now and Olive was in the center of it. Whatever Veruca's discomfort she knew it was an important scene. The big reveal where Elizabeth would know just how Olive felt about her. The audience would too, though Veruca had a feeling they would figure it out before then. She'd realized Olive had a thing for Elizabeth only a few lines into their first scene together. If she was honest, it was what had drawn her in and kept her reading.

Things went smoothly enough at the start. For all their teasing, Veruca and Luke had their own chemistry. She focused in on his questions, though, Olive had a habit of being hyper aware of the location of a brunette she adored. Veruca was just as aware that Gemma was focused on her as she was Luke and she soaked up her attention like a sponge. The same way Olive did Elizabeth's.

Somewhere on set, someone dropped a prop that hit the floor with a metallic clang. Veruca barely heard it, but it pulled Luke out of the moment. Since the shot was essentially ruined, he seized the moment to inject some humor into the tense atmosphere that had built around them.

"Do you want to sleep with Gemma?"

It wasn't even the next line, but it was similar to one she knew was coming so Veruca started to answer. "N-no...." She blinked, fully herself again. "Wait, what?" There was no denying the wave of hurt, then anger that washed over her face, but she quickly attempted to steady herself once again, though now she found herself very aware of and fidgeting with her restraints once more. The magic was gone. She'd lost Olive and needed to find her again and deep down she knew it would have been easier if Luke hadn't pulled her out of the moment.

"I need a minute," she murmured apologetically.

Repetition of scenes could sometimes be weary on an actor, it was true, but in cases like these - a big scene on a busy day, it helped keep her tuned in. Gemma chimed in with her lines, scolding William when he got too familiar with Olive, while desperately trying to maintain a sense of control over the situation. One of the big themes of the film and her character, actually: Control.

It worked out for Gemma, that Elizabeth needed to have a certain fascination with Olive and William, their dynamic and their chemistry. While there was no jealousy on her part (which went well with Elizabeth's proclamation she didn't experience sexual jealousy), she did feel a certain protectiveness to the other woman. Maybe it was just that she felt bonded to her after their little b&b sleep over, or something entirely more.

Whatever it was, it came on full force when Luke went off-book, so to speak. She watched the other woman go ashen, her own face blanched as she felt shocked by the question. The cooler woman in her would laugh it off and tell him to stop being an idiot. The fiercer woman won out. "Luke." She snapped his name like a mother might scold a child, no humor on her face when Luke broadly swept his hands up and looked at her in a "what did I do?" gesture. It seemed the severity of her look leveled him some, where his smile fell.

"Don't be an asshole." She said, but rolled her eyes so it didn't boil over into an actual incident. Gemma didn't want to derail the whole day, but she bristled with the anger that washed over her. "Take whatever time you need." She directed to Veruca, her tone considerably softer. That probably should have been the director's call, but Gemma wasn't going to let her feel put on the spot.

'Sorry, sorry.' Luke managed to get out, as Gemma paced a little closer as though that would keep him in check. As they settled back in to finish the scene, she couldn't deny her heart seemed to beat a little faster.

Oddly enough, she wondered what Veruca's answer might be to that question -- just maybe not in front of the entire crew.

Veruca had a hard time finding her bearings, suddenly wondering where Luke's question had come from and why. It wasn't some sort of line flub or name mix up.There was a reason why he'd said Gemma and not Elizabeth. He clearly thought there was something between them. He'd made a little "joke" about the two of them rehearsing at the bed and breakfast too.

Was it because they were both lesbians? It was a silly assumption for a fellow gay person to make. Veruca being into women didn't mean she was into every last one that crossed her path. It didn't mean she was into her, but as Gemma stood up for her, she kind of was.

She'd never really had anyone come rushing to her defense like that before, certianly not her current girlfriend who often told her to just try and forget the terrible things said about her by press and Haley's fans alike.

Veruca honestly wasn't sure where Gemma ended and Elizabeth began and she had always been a little bit into both. But if the skipped beat in her chest was any indication, Veruca was suddenly very into the former.

"Maybe we should all take a break," Angela said calmly. "Regroup after we've had a bit of a breather. Veruca, you alright to get out of those?"

She nodded meekly, feeling a bit sheepish that her little blunder (even if it hadn't been all her doing) was stopping production. Veruca loathed the idea of being a bother and felt a bit fussed over by Angela and Gemma alike, but was admittedly grateful for a break. Once she'd gotten the wires off, she looked up to see everyone heading in opposite directions, her feet making a beeline for Gemma before she even realized it.

She grabbed hold of the other woman's elbow to turn her around. Their eyes locked for a moment and she felt another telltale pang in her chest, her voice not quite steady as she said.

"Thank you for that."

At some point, Gemma might ask herself why she got so hot and upset by Luke's stupid joke right off the bat. She had been so swift to act, that she hadn't given much thought to how it might come off, or how Veruca might feel about her stepping in. She'd unpack that later, but a break was definitely in order for the lot of them. Gemma would get over it easily, she was sure of that, and wouldn't hold some deep grudge against Luke for his dumb comment, but something edged at the back of her mind that just made her a little antsy. Maybe a short walk would help out.

Now if Luke had asked the same thing of Gemma, she liked to think that she would be cool and have a completely leveling response that would be both witty and cutting. In reality, would she have reacted much differently? It wasn't as though Luke was putting the idea into her head, but calling either woman out on some perceived attraction felt a) inappropriate and b) none of his business.

Gemma reached for her phone as soon as they broke for a break, busying herself with nonsense as she wandered towards the exit. She only stopped when she felt a tug on her elbow, her heart doing that similar jolt-thing when she realized it was Veruca who stalled her.

"Oh, don't think anything of it." She said with a wave of her free hand, pocketing her phone a moment later into her sweater pocket. "I came in a little hot, there. That was just uncalled for." She softened a bit, shaking her head as she smiled at the other woman. "He's honestly just lucky I didn't chuck a beaker at his head."

"No, you were.... I mean, I wish I could have said something other than freezing like an idiot."

In the scene or real life. There was a beat of silence as Veruca absently started chewing on her thumbnail, a nervous habit that had mostly trained herself out of (her mentor, Marion stressed the importance of an actor losing any "quirks" on practically day one), save for times of deep contemplation or strife.

Today had a bit of both.

"I don't know why he said that," she mused aloud, her voice soft and far away before Gemma's gaze pulled her back into reality again.

It was an awkward situation, one that suddenly had her angry at Luke all over again because she suddenly realized he hadn't just made things uncomfortable for her. He'd brought Gemma into the mix too.

Storming off after her probably confirmed that they were a little too close. Veruca was suddenly hyper aware that they weren't really alone. They were on a set full of people who might think the same thing Luke did. Did everyone else think she had a thing for Gemma?

Did Rebecca?

For a split second Veruca liked the idea of that, then felt like a complete monster for it. She didn't have some sort of claim on Gemma. Maybe Luke was right on some level. Maybe she was a little too close to Gemma, but she still found herself saying what she said next.

"Do you wanna go get lunch or something? I bet Angela would let us."

Gemma felt relieved that she hadn't been presumptuous of stepping out of bounds to come to her "rescue" as it were. "You were fine. That blunder was on him." She said it kind of severely, wishing Luke was around if only to direct a glare at him when she said it.

So what if Luke might have been onto something, he couldn't possibly see inside of her brain. Gemma was an affable sort, and liked getting along with people. So maybe she liked Veruca more than most, but for him to translate that into a reciprocated lust for each other ... absurd. Right? Yes. Of course.

"Just Luke being Luke." She said in an offhanded way, though she felt like her tone or maybe her steady gaze betrayed something. Gemma really was just trying to figure out how she felt, much less how Veruca did.

It was no secret (not really, anyway) that Gemma had a real fondness for Veruca, and felt close to her. Closer in fact, the more they spent time together. Then there was how much she really had missed the other woman while she was gone. Yes, she was flirtatious with Rebecca and could definitely follow that path ... but what if she didn't? All of this was, of course, ridiculous. Veruca had a girlfriend for god's sake.

"Yes, absolutely." Gemma answered quickly, without really thinking much about how quickly she'd answered. Laughing softly at herself, she shook her head and took wandered with her towards the exit of the stage. Would it look weird now, for them to be off having lunch together? Probably, but Gemma didn't really care.

Heading off with Gemma was probably a terrible idea. Veruca knew it would take her a while to get back into the scene, her broken concentration yet another thing to be cross with Luke for. She'd been doing so well before...

She knew she needed to sort out what this all meant. His accusation (because it certainly felt like one) seemed totally out of left field. Veruca needed to sort out why he felt that way and if need be, start to back off before everyone else did too.

Did Gemma?

There was no denying she was worried Luke had planted seeds of doubt in the other woman's mind in the millisecond it took her to answer. She worried if their co-star had made things weird and Gemma uncomfortable enough to start to question her interactions with her, or at least have her starting to back off as well, if only to stop tongues from wagging.

"Yeah?" The relief in Veruca's voice was palatable, leaving her feeling a bit pathetic at how much she clearly needed this other woman's attention and approval. She needed things to be alright between them and Luke was right that it wasn't just because of the film.

"I"ll go get everything sorted. Meet me out front once you are."

Getting permission from Angela to head out for a while was easy enough, though she did raise a bit of an eyebrow when Veruca told her Gemma was coming along too.

It felt good to get out of costume and into her own clothes again, though her butterfly blouse and tailored slacks wouldn't look entirely out of place in Olive's closet. She'd sort of taken to wearing things in her collection that were from the Marstons era. It wasn't an attempt to be method. Veruca had just realized there was no better time to wear them and they did help her feel a bit closer to her character.

A little too close, apparently. She sighed, finishing up her top button before heading out to find Gemma.

"Come on," she said. "I know where we can go."

Veruca took the other woman to a tiny pub she had dinner the night before she left for New York. It was late and she'd never really liked the occasionally boisterous atmosphere of a bar after dark, but she'd come straight from set famished enough to eat just about anywhere.

But the food was good, evidenced by the fact that it was pretty packed when they arrived.

Veruca considered turning back around, but eventually spotted a booth toward the back, sliding into it with a sigh because she'd all but ran over to make sure no one else got to it.

"Let me buy you a drink," she said, suddenly craving one of her own. She really wasn't a drinker for a multitude of reasons, but it had definitely been one of those days.

Gemma found that the older she got, the less she truly cared what people thought of her ... usually anyway. She didn't like to fuel gossip fodder when it came to herself, but she also was over living her life any differently because of who might have an opinion of it. So going off with Veruca after everything that had just happened on set might not have been the best idea, but it was exactly what she wanted to do. If anyone wanted to have an opinion about that, so be it.

Luke was a jerk, even if he was good natured and meant well. His comment rattled her more than she thought it would, and the lingering absence of a true answer ran through her mind ... a lot. Standing there waiting for Veruca, she tried to busy herself but just found her mind wandering, churning over and over in her mind.

So much so, that when Veruca returned, she startled a little bit. As they parted to change, Gemma had an increasingly jovial mood. She wore a simple flowy dress that went to her ankles, a little outside of her own style, but she had been sleepy as hell rolling out of bed that morning and decided to go with ease as she stumbled her way to the makeup trailer. She pulled on a sweater and met Veruca outside, falling in step with the other woman as they walked off set.

For whatever reason, Gemma wished they had hours on end to spend together in this setting. Even if they were going to return to set to spend the rest of the day together working, that was a decidedly different vibe than what they currently had. Gemma should probably focus on her flirtation with Rebecca. It would likely be unwise to further sink into this little crush or whatever she had with Veruca.

There was an air of mischief to escaping set (even with permission). Walking out in the sunshine felt good, being in good company felt great. "Busy, that's a good sign." She commented as soon as they arrived at the pub. "It feels like home." Gemma mused, following over to the booth and sliding into it.

"If you insist. Even though I owe you about a dozen drinks considering all the coffee you give me." She smirked, glancing at the menu in front of her. "I suppose I'll have to be more creative on how to properly thank you." Her naturally low voice probably made that sound more like an innuendo than she meant it to ... but she didn't bother correcting herself, either.

The pub may have not been Veruca's scene but she all but beamed when the other woman said it felt like home. She liked making Gemma happy, which was also the reason why she'd kept bringing her coffee after her joke about bribing her for friendship had gone stale.

She shook her head. "I owe you about a thousand coffees for what you did back there."

Bringing up what had happened with Luke, however indirectly seemed like a bad idea. It brought more attention to an elephant in the room Veruca was sure she could overlook once with a little time and distance put between them. The world seemed to fade when it was just the two of them. Time alone with Gemma was what she would have really wanted even if things had gone off without a hitch at work that morning.

But there was a funny feeling in the pit of Veruca's stomach at the idea of Gemma thanking her and no denying the other woman's tone brought up images of something they were going to do, professionally of course in a few days time.

A kiss and the one Veruca was imagining wasn't very tame. Given time and a chance for her thoughts to run away with her like the often did, she knew this little vignette could warp into something else. People were right when they said quiet types were the sort you had to watch out for. Veruca had a vivid imagination and wasn't quite as prim and proper as she appeared behind closed doors. Nor was she like Olive in the bedroom. Veruca was a bit more of an Elizabeth, usually unafraid to go after what she wanted. More eager to be in control of a situation than to submit to it.

But she hadn't really known she wanted (however fleeting the thought and she hoped it was exactly that, short lived) Gemma until now and her usually logical brain was already scrambling for excuses for the sudden revelation.

It was Luke's fault. He had somehow planted the idea in her head. He had turned their friendship into something dirty.

It was Olive's. Okay, hers for taking things too far and a little too seriously.

It was Haley's, because her girlfriend had made her nothing if not starved for attention and affection.

Veruca just knew it wasn't Gemma's. Which was exactly why she needed to nip this in the bud before it started affecting her and their friendship.

She ordered a glass of sangria, sighing as she settled back against her side of the booth. "So, an island full of Amazons sounds better than ever, huh? Scantily clad warrior women, no Luke. Let's go."

While Gemma was decidedly past the point in her life where she was down for an evening pub crawl that ended up more like crawling back to her home, there was something very homey about a dimly lit pub, the din of boisterous voices just adding to the atmosphere. Ideally with good alcohol and even better food, if they were in an ideal spot.

She smiled at Veruca, shaking her head in turn as she mused at the other woman. Something about her felt like an electric charge, always had done, if she were thinking about it.

"It was nothing, really." But it was something, if only in Gemma's mind that she felt such a protective thrill run through her the second Veruca was made uncomfortable. Perhaps she could be quite chivalrous, when put to the task.

They were only in the beginning of their journey together with this film, but already seemed to be circling the points of what would be no return for Olive and Elizabeth. She wondered for a moment, if it would be hard for her to play Elizabeth's hesitation when Olive first kisses her. If everything else in her was screaming how much she might like to feel Veruca's lips on her own. Stop that, she'd scold herself, all the while unable to stop thinking it.

The thought alone had her running her fingertips absentmindedly over her own lips as she glanced down at the menu, busying herself with trying to find what might make a good meal for the afternoon. There would be plenty of navigating later on, of rehearsal and making sure everyone was comfortable. Gemma had done plenty of love scenes before, but the idea of doing one with Veruca somehow had her knotted in nerves. Very unlike her indeed.

It was too easy sometimes, to forget that Veruca had someone else waiting on her, committed to her.

"Oh, yes please. Where do I sign up? I think Greece is a good place to start looking for it." She grinned, ordering herself a glass of the same. She leaned back in her cushioned seat, her gaze leveled at the other woman. "You would look quite spectacular in a warrior's outfit, actually."

"In looks maybe," she conceded, remembering something about Amazons being slightly taller than the average woman, but that was where the similarities ended. "Not so much in everything else. I'm a total weakling. I nearly flunked gym before my grandmother guilt tripped my teacher in high school. Seriously, I get winded carrying a gallon of milk up the stairs to my apartment."

She sighed wistfully, doing her best to stop watching Gemma's fingers trace her mouth. "Greece does sound nice though. I've never been. There's this amazing Greek restaurant on my block though. The spinach pie is laced with crack or something. I ordered two slices last time and regret nothing."

She picked up a menu. "Of course I do kind of get to wear one. Soon." She bit her lip, not entirely sure she was joking when she said, "So maybe I should get a salad..."

"Well I think the key is to carry two gallons of milk; all about balance." She grinned and winked at the other woman, hardly aware of how it had become increasingly easy to just let that slight flirtation edge in. In truth, Veruca's height was wildly attractive to Gemma -- not that it was the beginning or end of that. Or that she would say as much.

"God I love Greek food. I went once as a kid with my parents but I don't remember it very much. I think it would be vastly different to go now. In fact, maybe I'll make that my voyage after this film." She smiled, dropping her hand to the table once she'd decided what she wanted. "I try and take a small trip after I wrap something. Sort of a quick re-charge for myself."

Gemma's brow furrowed a bit at Veruca's estimation of what she should get for lunch. She hadn't seen that piece of wardrobe yet, and the idea of it made her skin feel warm. "Please, you'll look stunning no matter what you have for lunch."

Her gaze only averted when their waiter came back to the table. Gemma ordered some chicken dish that looked good - mostly healthy but with a house mashed potatoes that sounded too good to pass up.

"That's actually a really good idea," Veruca said. Something of a homebody, she usually rushed back to New York as soon as she was able, doing her best to wind down from her last project. They were all a bit of a whirlwind and she supposed she wouldn't be doing her job right if she didn't get a little personally invested in each one, but some characters were harder to let go of and deep down she knew Olive would be the hardest yet.

It was easy to forget that she had a girlfriend in moments like these, especially when she and Haley hadn't been talking much since their latest spat. It would be easy to blame work and distance, the fact that they could never seem to quite catch each other to have a chat, but it would have been a lie.

Veruca wasn't really trying, fed up with being the only one who did, somewhat haughtily deciding that if Haley wanted to talk, she would have to seek her out first for once.

The fact that she had been relatively silent save for the occasional good morning or selfie (that was promptly posted on her instagram, so Veruca didn't actually feel special to receive them) should have spoke volumes, but that was just it.

With Gemma and the film on her mind, she wasn't that concerned about her relationship anymore, something of a blessing and a curse.

Veruca smiled softly at the other woman's reassurance, ultimately deciding that she deserved a bit of comfort food after the day she'd had.

She settled on chicken and dumplings, smiling softly as the waiter's gaze lingered on Gemma for a moment before walking off with a puzzled expression.

"I think he recognizes you," she whispered as she leaned across the table. "Looked kinda spooked, actually. Maybe he thinks you're gonna Gone Girl him," she teased.

For a brief moment, Gemma saw herself doing something very bold. She could see it so vividly as though time itself had split for a moment just to allow it. She could have leaned over close like they were co-conspirators, and she could have asked Veruca to come with her on whatever trip she fancied at the end of this shoot. Seeing it so clearly, Gemma swallowed hard at her suddenly dry throat, and almost asked it anyway. Almost. "You should get on board." She said after taking a sip of their freshly delivered drinks. Maybe she would ask her, later.

Luke was a total jerk for the stunt he'd pulled, but perhaps it did something positive after all. For whatever reason, Gemma felt emboldened by the experience with Veruca, glad to come to her rescue but also intrigued by the turn of events after it had happened. After all, here they were at lunch together.

Gemma might like to ask after this Haley woman, but honestly couldn't remember her name or be bothered with her presence whatsoever. She figured if Veruca wanted to bring her up, she would. She might wield her girlfriend like a shield from whatever attraction was brewing between them.

And that's what it was, wasn't it? An attraction, a crush even. Nothing to be concerned about. It could only be natural.

"Oh I do get that a lot. I have to admit, I get quite a thrill from my mere presence striking fear into the hearts of men. I'll bet his girlfriend gets flowers tonight." She grinned wickedly, already leaning in to instinctively mirror Veruca's stance. "I actually loved watching how men and women's reactions differed to that film, it fascinated me."

"Who doesn't?" Veruca teased back. That morning had definitely left her wishing she was a bit more intimidating. Then maybe Luke wouldn't have tried to rattle her.

Veruca had played some interesting women over the years. Few were shrinking violets, but some had certainly been more complicated than others. Grace, the character she'd played before Olive certainly sprang to mind.

Characters like Amy and Grace were the dream. Complicated, complex female characters were few and far between. Veruca was sure she would never get a part like that again which is why she had to ask Gemma about hers. Her experience had been on a grander scale, after all. The Gone Girl had been a hit even before the adaptation and Veruca knew the competition to be a part of the film had been fierce.

"I auditioned for that," she confessed a bit sheepishly. "Not Amy," she amended quickly, not wanting Gemma to think she had taken the role from her though she wouldn't have been too bothered if she had. It was a competitive business and impossible to know what casting agents wanted on any particular day. "Andie."

She obviously hadn't landed the part, but she did get a similar (and in hindsight, better) one in The Girl On The Train, which is why her lips twisted into a crooked smile. "I guess I really had my heart on playing a mistress." She sipped her sangria, making a bit of a face. It was a bit overly sweet for her taste. She fished a watermelon slice out of her glass, chewing thoughtfully. "I'm a sucker for a good thriller. But how do men and women react differently?" she asked curiously.

"It's a main thrill in life." Gemma grinned at her, willing herself to look away but finding it an actual struggle to. She really should have a better handle at staying professional even on a friendly lunch.

Throughout her career, Gemma had this idea that she always wanted to like who she was playing in some regard. While that was still true, her tastes had evolved over the years. With a certain popularity (thanks, Marvel!) she was allowed to be all the more selective. She wanted to take roles that spoke to her and challenged her. She wanted complex women that reflected just how complex women truly were. Even more so, she found just how much she loved to take on projects that were run by women. Men just didn't seem to write or direct women in a way that was anywhere near the scope of how a woman did. Case and point: this film.

"Did you really?" She exclaimed, excited at the idea of it, though it gave her pause when she actually thought about that. "You know, I would have loved that ... but I would have really struggled with being remotely convincing in hating you." Because falling for her on screen was so much easier? Let's not all get ahead of ourselves.

"Pseudo-wife is definitely an upgrade even on that." Gemma loved how a good tumultuous romance of a role. Mistresses or otherwise. "Oh I remember going to this one screening, and watching the moment Andie makes herself known ... It was hilarious, watching women all act increasingly justified as the story went on and the men just sort of ... squirm." Gemma noticed she was still leaning forward, and straightened her back a little. "It was pretty delicious, actually."

Every actor knew you auditioned for more roles than you ever received. Veruca knew she probably wasn't alone in her dislike of them, but the whole process was almost enough to turn her off the idea of acting professionally entirely.

She took pride in her work, but she wasn't competitive. She simply didn't have it in her to fight tooth and nail for roles when ultimately, her efforts could prove pointless. There was no way to make someone like or cast you. Like everything else in their business, it was subjective. No one was everyone's cup of tea.

She'd done well in the New York theater scene but even that had been a struggle, a fight for roles in small companies she had been largely unhappy with. She'd nearly thrown in the towel before her mentor found her and told her she had a certain something.

Marion was a wiry old woman, the kind who didn't sugarcoat the truth, but Veruca had days where she wasn't sure she believed her, especially after failed auditions. She was a sensitive sort. She would have assumed most actors were, but... so many seemed to cope with rejection better than she did.

The idea that Gemma would have trouble pretending to loathe her helped soothe Veruca's current bad day. "Pseudo wife you thought was gonna be a mistress but really inched closer to your husband to be closer to you," Veruca said smugly. "Olive really is more clever than anyone gives her credit for."

She grinned. "Oh, I'll bet."

Veruca couldn't help but smirk when the waiter returned a moment later, eager to study his reaction to Gemma. He seemed to avoid eye contact with her, directing his question about whether they needed anything else to Veruca alone, causing a bubble of laughter to escape her lips when he all but scurried off to the kitchen.

"Oh my god, you're my hero," she said, shaking her head before starting to laugh in earnest once she was sure the coast was clear.

Something that felt entirely true for many, if not all actors, was a certain need for validation. Be it from peers, directors, writers, academies -- validation was part of what made an actor's journey worthwhile. Actors, at least the ones Gemma had known (including herself) had to bank on being liked. They had to garner enough likability that audiences would come back for them, time and again.

Gemma liked being liked. She liked to make others feel good about themselves, surely, but also relied on a certain charm to keep people interested in her work. Playing the game, as it were, was not something she deeply enjoyed. Gemma loved the work, the connection, the art of putting heart and soul to film. It gave her a thrill when people enjoyed her work, always touching something deep in her heart that said her choices were valid.

It meant even more to her after she'd come out, or rather, stopped trying to hide that part of herself. Her sexuality was nobody's business but her own, but living openly and proudly became so important to her.

"Such a twist on the predictable! I like this far better." She grinned just as smugly. "Olive really was out there, making the absolute best life for herself. I think we can all learn from her to go after what we want."

As their waiter returned and seemed to solely focus on Veruca, Gemma had to bite back a laugh, her gaze fixed on the woman and her delight over the moment. She really was remarkable, Gemma was finding more and more.

"Just wait until he brings our food and I drop my voice an octave to ask him for a steak knife I definitely don't need." Gemma teased, referencing how much deeper her voice for Amy had been. Her voice already had a rich depth to it, but she'd worked with her dialect coach for something totally different for Amy. Almost more unexpectedly sinister. God, she did love that role. It had been her favorite. Maybe, until now.

Actors were usually one of three things, attractive, charismatic or talented. The best were (or had a bit of) all three, of course, but those were slightly few and far between. If Veruca was being honest, her girlfriend relied more heavily on her good looks (Haley was beautiful in that high school cheerleader sort of way, undeniably pretty but not entirely unattainable) and charisma more than anything else. She too, had a certain something. People liked her, more than they did Veruca anyway because she was captivating as well as outgoing.

But Veruca would have been lying if she said she liked her girlfriend's films, or even that she thought she had much in the way of range. She knew it sounded awful, which is why she'd never admit it out loud, but Haley never really had much in the way of technique or ever really bothered with it because, a star before she could legally have a drink, she'd never needed to.

Which was probably why she'd giggled as Veruca paced the creaky floors of her New York apartment, trying to perfect Grace's irish lit, never quite understanding why Veruca kept giving her dirty looks every time she started humming the jingle for Lucky Charms and or suggested they go out for a Guinness. It was why she couldn't understand why Veruca was reading books on bsdm to understand the thought processes behind it, not because she was keen to spice up her sex life.

Haley probably didn't even know what an octave was let alone how to drop her voice a few to convey something about her character.

Two people didn't have to be kindred spirits to be together. They certainly didn't need to have the same occupation, but in that moment Veruca felt more connected to Gemma than she ever did her girlfriend. She simply got it and on some level, got her more than Haley ever did.

Her devotion to her work was an undeniable turn on. Veruca was just as eager to see her in action here (because god, she hoped she wasn't joking because watching this waiter squirm was more entertaining than anything she'd scrolled through on Netflix in her off hours lately) as she was on set.

Which is why she sat slightly on the edge of her seat, keeping a sharp eye on the kitchen door. She wasn't particularly hungry or eager for her food. She just wanted to see what happened next.

"Anything else?" he asked, his eyes firmly focused on Veruca again.

"Oh I'm fine, thank you." she said reassuringly. "But didn't you say you wanted something?" She nodded toward Gemma, giving him no way out.

Gemma had meant what she told Veruca early on; she had been impressed by her work thus far. The deeper they got into working with each other, the more she gathered affirmation that her instincts were very much correct. The work that Veruca put into Olive impressed her. She put in the work, but Gemma knew a true marvel when she saw one. Veruca had something in her, a talent yes, but a connectivity that not a lot of actors could claim. She could tell that things mattered to her, and that was half of the battle.

Gemma didn't know all that much about Haley, but she had seen maybe a couple of her films. They seemed sweet, if maybe a little vapid in content. Gemma had a handful of crap films in her resume, but she didn't rely on them (or the bigger blockbusters) to lay a pathway for what she did next. If she believed in a project, she did it. If she did give this girlfriend of Veruca's a second of thought, would she feel a need to compare herself? Would she in turn feel as though she had some superiority over the girl? It felt petty in some way, and Gemma didn't like to feel petty. But still.

It was probably just her growing affection (and protectiveness, even) of the woman who sat across from her. She deserved a hell of a lot, and wondered if she knew that.

Gemma spotted the waiter coming back, her lips twisting into a smirk as she raised her eyebrows at the other woman. Was she going to actually do it? Please, Gemma could be a bit of a ham when she wanted to be. Of course she was.

"Yes, actually." She leveled her gaze at the poor man, her voice lower as though it were always just waiting there to be. "This is a bit..." She lifted her butter knife and dangled it between her fingers. "Dull for the dish I ordered. Might you have something a little sharper for me?" The poor kid couldn't nod and stumble over his words to get out of there fast enough, promising that he'd find something. He was gone so fast, Gemma barely had to wait before bursting into a fit of giggles. "God, I should be a nicer person."

The laugh Gemma's little performance coaxed out of Veruca could only be described as gleeful. The smile it left behind never quite leaving her face as they had lunch. "You're brilliant. Don't you dare change a thing," she said earnestly.

Since she was the one who invited Gemma out, Veruca insisted on paying for lunch, leaving the waiter a fairly generous tip to make up for their little prank. She was a bit pained as they headed back to set, not really looking forward to facing Luke again since they'd parted on such an awkward note, but ultimately knew things would work themselves out.

Veruca & Gemma had left work a little before the lunch rush. People were out in full force as they exited the pub, rushing to grab an afternoon coffee or a quick bite before they had to hurry back to their own jobs. The crowds forced the two women to walk closely together so they wouldn't be separated, Veruca near enough to Gemma for her gardenia perfume (something of a signature scent) to be noticeable.

The sudden influx of people had other effects too. When a taxi cab zoomed by just as Gemma looked like she was about to start stepping off the curb, Veruca placed a hand on the small of her back to steady and stop her with a soft, "Wait."

The car wasn't moving fast enough to do any real damage, but the gesture, however small in the grand scheme of things, did mean something.

Veruca, in her own quiet, often serious way, was protective of Gemma too.

Leaving the pub once they were finished, Gemma couldn't shake how good she felt. She felt bolstered by the whole time away with Veruca, and the playful time they'd had together. It had been a long time since just a while spent with someone had her buzzing with such a good feeling - which only added to her distraction as they wandered down the street. She might not have stepped off the curb, but she might have - either way, she startled a little when Veruca touched her, her gaze feeling sort of sluggish and warped in a very pleasant way. "Thanks," She'd laughed and made some gesture with her hand like she'd lose her head if someone didn't check her.

It was probably an entirely ridiculous notion, but she felt like her back where Veruca had touched her was warm for the rest of their walk back. The high spirits remained steady as they arrived back at set, and she got a text from Angela that she wanted to see both of them her producer's trailer. "I hope this isn't us being called to the principal's office." She winked, heading off in that direction once they got to base camp.

Not quite a bad thing, but due to an issue with their location for the following day, Angela asked if they'd be willing to do a different scene today. A scene slotted for tomorrow. Scene 23. Gemma's hesitation was minimal, always game for anything, but she couldn't deny that her heart was beating faster. It was a scene she had been looking forward to, but one that made her nervous - for whatever reason. "Of course, I'll review my lines while we're getting back into wardrobe and makeup." She nodded, knowing they'd have some time to adjust their looks to note a different day. Her gaze finally moved to Veruca, trying to gauge how she felt. "Are you okay with this?"

Angela's vague text left Veruca feeling slightly anxious as they headed over to see her. Variations of we need to talk rarely left anyone in high spirits or imagining the best case scenario and that morning's situation with Luke had her wondering if she was going to be scolded for not handling things better.

The news that he had left their ranks for the day was slightly bittersweet. Veruca was glad she didn't have to see him, still feeling angry and a bit awkward over his little stunt, but she also knew it was better to resolve conflicts quickly, to clear the air before things turned irredeemably awkward, or into something much, much bigger.

"It's fine," Veruca said, with what she hoped was a casual wave of her hand but she would have been lying if she said she wasn't a bit nervous too. She knew the scene was coming, of course. She just hadn't expected it so soon. As important as it was, she hoped she'd have a bit more time to ease in and prepare.

Something told her kissing Gemma wouldn't be that hard, a notion that conjured up an entirely different set of worries.

Veruca headed back to her trailer to prepare, fairly familiar with what came next because she knew she'd have to be when going over the lie detector scene the night before.

She idly ran her fingers over her lips as she read the stage directions, her mind suddenly conjuring images of what it would look like when Gemma's lips took their place.

She sighed as she looked in the mirror, staring herself down in an effort to get it together before heading back to set.

It was a kiss. She'd kissed plenty of people on set and off. It was an important scene, but the stakes didn't just feel high on Olive's part.

She was nervous. Unable to shake the feeling that this was somehow an important moment for her too.

And the idea was as confusing as it was exciting.

She walked past Nicole as she made her way back. Her friend was on her way home, but she found herself blurting out something when she spotted the designer bag resting against her hip. It was gorgeous, a vintage Hermes that she would have complimented on any other day, but she was preoccupied, blurting out, "Hey, do you have any gum?" instead. "I uh, have to do a..."

Veruca warmed a bit and hated herself for it. Why was she acting bashful? Like some silly teenager telling their friend they were finally working up the nerve to kiss their crush.

To her credit, Nicole seemed to think nothing of it, offering Veruca a stick of something green and minty from the bottom of her purse. "Good luck with that," she said with a wink before disappearing around the corner.

Veruca wasn't big on gum. She'd had a middle school teacher who had told the class chewing it instantly made you look like a cow and she'd never been able to shake the mental image but she chewed quickly, finding that it actually kind of helped with her nerves as well as her breath. Though she still jumped when Angela put a hand on her shoulder to ask if she was ready.

"Totally," she said smoothly. "I mean, we were gonna do it anyway, right?"

Throughout her career, Gemma had varying degrees of successful encounters with on-screen chemistry. Sometimes it was easier than others to altogether make out with a co-star in front of very bored crew members who really just wanted to go home at a decent hour, but other times it was a struggle. Particularly in the more intimate scenes, the nature of their business was not always kind to women or comfort levels versus the bottom line. What Gemma knew about this project already, was how different that perspective was. The crew as predominantly female as well, and so that comfort level just seemed to add itself to what should make her more at ease.

So what was it about this scene that was making her so anxious? She'd kissed plenty of people on screen, but had she ever, on screen, dealt with someone she may have actually (sort of, if she were being honest) fancied? Probably not, as the amount of queer projects she'd done, she could count on one hand. That's what it was, she decided as she was putting herself into her costume. But it felt weird and almost childish to admit that she had some sort of crush-thing happening here. She and Veruca were friends, all the more so as time went on, and that was, decidedly that.

Still, she took an extra couple of minutes to brush her teeth, narrowing her eyes at a snickering set PA and informing her it was just polite to make sure your breath was nice. Then off to hair and makeup, all the while studying her lines again and again.

Studying her lines so seriously wasn't actually needed. It was more something to do to busy herself and re-focus her mind on the scene. This scene, along with many others, but this one in particular was the kind of scene that bore into her soul. Between each line there was such longing, such restraint that was just begging to be released. She saw Elizabeth as projecting feelings onto her husband so she herself wouldn't have to deal with how she felt about Olive. She understood that on some soul-type level. Ultimately, pushing her away was just part of that deeply relatable fear. Gemma realized that part of her trepidation about this scene, even if she was a professional, was how much she wasn't looking forward to the moment Elizabeth deeply hurts Olive in the moment.

The brown coat wasn't the most appealing thing, but it was fashionable for the time. One of the many things that helped Gemma sink into Elizabeth a bit more. Once that was on, she brushed her fingers over her white shirt and moved off to set, gathering her cigarettes and wedding ring from props. Leaning over at the end of the hallway, she spun the ring around her finger, idly staring off into space until she saw Angela walk in with Veruca. Already, her heart was beating wildly.

"Here we go, hm?" She smiled at Veruca, approaching her as Angela made her way over to video village.

A person never really got used to romantic scenes because there was nothing normal about kissing someone on demand with plenty of people watching but they sort of became something you began to understand how to do. You did your best to make them go quickly for all parties involved because nobody really liked them except the audience. Veruca had never really wanted to kiss any of her co-stars (the fact that they had been predominately male probably helped shield her from any crushes) and save for one very annoying, very method actor who insisted he'd formed a real connection with her at a cast party, the feeling seemed to be mutual.

It was just work. But no matter how many times Veruca told herself this time would be no different, there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach she couldn't shake. She was nervous, yes, but it was mixed with something else too. Something she could identify but wasn't about to admit, even to herself because it wasn't fair to Gemma. Or Haley, but it was hard to remember her promises to her girlfriend when she was trying to tap into Olive's own romantic confusion.

She wasn't exactly thinking about who she had at home waiting on her either.

Veruca shot Gemma what she hoped was a reassuring smile but it didn't quite meet her eyes.

Once her gum was safely deposited in the trash she took a moment to center herself, trying to remember what happened prior and how she decided Olive was feeling. She knew she would have to conjure up tears soon, but she was never one to force them. They would come if she did her job right and Gemma had been helping her every step of the way.

Maybe even a little too well.

"Piece of cake, " she said with a wink before heading back to her entrance, preparing to slip back into Olive again.

Being bold in her own romantic pursuits was something that Gemma usually took pride in. There was always a sort of dance-around period, where she had to figure out if someone she was interested in actually liked women in that way, but once she felt confident enough in a connection, all bets were off. Things were far trickier when it came to work, and scenes of intense vulnerability like this one. She drew on the energy of the scene to get her there emotionally, and her scene partner especially. She had no doubts that she and Veruca would nail this scene, but she still had that edge of nerves she hadn't been expecting.

A consummate professional, Gemma could stop mid-kiss to take a note from a director, no problem. She had no trouble laying in various states of undress (as long as she were somewhat covered) while hair and makeup came in for final touches, or sitting about with her co-stars in robes before jumping into a bed scene and making jokes between takes. Going into this seemingly new dynamic had her head a little dizzy before they'd even started.

Her focus was on Elizabeth now, and that's where it had to be. Coming off of certain revelations that her husband was in love with Olive, just as much as he was in love with her. I don't experience sexual jealousy was a line of Elizabeth's that stuck with her whenever she thought of scenes like this one. The emotion then came from somewhere else, a feeling of loss, of what she couldn't have.

Gemma smiled affectionately towards Veruca as she winked at her, a little thrill hitting her in the pit of her stomach. As crew began to clear out, Angela called for everyone to settle and for the camera to roll.

"Give me just a moment?" Gemma asked, taking just a few extra seconds to allow herself to get there emotionally. As action was called, Elizabeth took over. She strode down the hall with purpose, lost in thought, emotional, angry. In seconds she'd be stopped, but forged ahead in her huff of emotion as though she had no idea what was to come.

Despite her attempt to lighten the mood and reassure Gemma, Veruca knew this scene was not going to be a piece of cake. It was the sort of scene that she loved but was simultaneously terrified by because the pressure was on. It was the real beginning of everything, the moment where you saw just how deeply Olive was entwined with one Marston in particular (and let's face it, even with plenty of hints and build up, she was sure some oblivious audience goers would be shocked it was the female one). The stakes were high for her to get it right and she was sure they'd never been higher for Olive.

William's feelings were a shock to her too. He'd been a gentleman, treating her with the respect she'd rarely gotten from boys her age who just wanted to get into her pants. He'd treated her like an equal. Something her bland, boring fiance certainly never did. He may have outwardly respected her, but he wasn't much different than the others. He still saw her as an object, a pretty ornament on his arm that couldn't possibly have thoughts and desires of her own. He'd never believed in and seen her the way the Marstons did.

But (as usual) her focus was on Elizabeth, which was probably why she'd never noticed Will's infatuation with her in the first place. She needed to go after her. To soothe any fears that she would go after Will now that she'd sort been given the green light. She needed to know she hadn't encouraged him, that this wasn't her fault or what she wanted. Olive couldn't think of anything worse than losing a drop of Elizabeth's hard earned respect, let alone hurting her.

She stormed in after, the clack of her high heels announcing her arrival a beat before she did.

"I don't love him!" She knew it was important to sound firm in her convictions. Elizabeth needed to know that she was telling the truth, that she hadn't tried to put things into motion so she could steal her husband out from under her, but her voice wavered slightly.

Veruca was sure Olive knew she felt something for Will, but wouldn't really wake up and give in to it until they were intimate. It was nothing like the all encompassing feelings she had for Elizabeth (and she was secretly of the mind Olive's feelings for her would always be stronger) and in the moment, they were all she was worried about. She was vulnerable because of her. She was begging Elizabeth to believe her so she could stay in her good graces.

This scene was decidedly a pretty big scene. It was something she had looked forward to upon her first reading it. If nothing else, Gemma loved a deep scene. The kind that she could figuratively sink her teeth into and challenge herself to be as authentic as possible. She didn't think back then that it would be so effortless to be there emotionally. She wouldn't have anticipated the way she had connected to Veruca, and how through the lens of their characters, felt like this scene rang all the more significant.

The wild storm of emotion that swirled through Elizabeth's head felt incredibly easy for Gemma to access. She had such affection for this young woman, someone who to her was wildly intelligent, gentle and sweet but with a fire in her that felt familiar to what she and her husband held within them, too. Olive was charming, but Olive also saw something inside of Elizabeth that not many had access to. It rattled her, unsettled her, and made her want to balk against it for fear of showing too much of herself.

Until Olive, vulnerability was reserved for a single other soul on the planet. It wasn't easy for Elizabeth. "Of course you do!" Her voice raised, incredulous through a laugh and nearly breaking in frustration as she spun on her heel to look at the other woman. A cigarette clenched between her fingers, her voice riddled with emotion as she continued the line, nearly cutting off Veruca's. "Don't take me for a fool, Olive. I'm many things, but I'm not a fool..." She huffed, noticing somewhere in there that their blocking kept them close, the intensity of the moment burning between them.

It wasn't often that Gemma felt she could so tangibly feel the chemistry with someone, but she felt it with Veruca, almost enough that she could reach out and grasp it.

"I love you."

There was no going back once you sent those three words out into the world. No take backs either. And you were always left hanging, if only for a moment. It torture, that wait. You were never quite sure what would happen next or if the other person really felt the same way.

It was a risky thing for anyone to admit, but Veruca had to admit Olive was braver than anyone gave her credit for in that moment.

Elizabeth was married. Elizabeth was another woman and they were living in a time where same sex attraction was still seen as a disease, a defect, and rarely talked about. Veruca had a feeling that Elizabeth wasn't the first woman Olive had noticed, but she was the first one she felt something for. She and what she thought they had was worth every last risk.

That huff let Olive feel like she was losing ground fast. Her eyes already feeling the ominous sting of tears at the idea that Elizabeth didn't believe her, that nothing seemed to have changed at all. They were back to square one. If you fuck my husband, I'll kill you.

Elizabeth even didn't see her as a friend or colleague. She saw her as what everyone else did. A pretty face. A threat to your relationship but not much else because who could believe a pretty girl had a brain?

But no, it couldn't... Elizabeth had to have felt something too. Olive was sure she'd had inklings of... she'd felt her watching her more than once.

There was nothing else to say. She'd said everything she could. It was time to show her.

Veruca took a step forward, closing what little space was left between them, her left foot not even on the floor before she grabbed Gemma and pulled her in for a kiss, stumbling ever so slightly into her because even she was caught off guard at her own roughness. It was a mistake, but it only brought them closer, Veruca's eyes fluttering shut almost immediately as she got lost in the kiss.

The laugh that Elizabeth gave in response to those three words, the incredulous 'how dare you' kind of response came so instinctively, one of those moments that Gemma knew she was living inside the bones of her character. It was different from being a method actor (which honestly, those types drove her absolutely nuts with their pretentiousness) but rather allowing herself to become a vessel for the natural feeling of her character.

Somewhere at the very back of her mind, Gemma was wondering if Veruca had ever said that to her girlfriend, but why she was wondering that took a total backseat to the moment itself. Elizabeth was more in control than Gemma was right now, and that's when she knew she was doing her job properly.

This incredible young woman, someone who would later become the equivalent of her wife and life partner was laying it all out for her. Elizabeth couldn't hear it, wouldn't hear it. She couldn't allow her heart to go there because it was indeed impossible. Olive couldn't love her, she could only love William. And to say she didn't love him at all, but it was Elizabeth? Absurd ... and yet, was it?

Angela had given them notes on the scene during blocking, telling them what she wanted, collaborating like the best of them. The kiss was supposed to surprise her, and she was so in the moment, that it did. She'd told Gemma to let the kiss linger, to give in a bit - which honestly now, Gemma was glad for. With Olive/Veruca's hands on her face, she leaned into the kiss, her brow furrowed, her lips parting just slightly into the depth and desperation of the kiss. She barely stopped herself from sighing, figuring that was a little too much -- but she couldn't shake the certain things she was noticing.

Had she thought about what Veruca's lips would feel like, or taste like? Maybe, but she wasn't willing to admit it. Impossibly soft, even despite the vigor of the aggressive kiss. Honestly if it weren't for the moment and the whole of the crew around them, she would have fully allowed herself to note how impossibly sexy that kind of roughness was. Her hand touched to the side of her head, almost grasping for her hair, but instead --

"Get away from me," She managed to gasp, breathless as she pushed the other woman away from her. It was going to break her heart to see the look on her face, but so would it Elizabeth - the bitch - even if she would hide it with all her might. Her stunned gaze lingered for a moment or two longer, gathering her anger, her pride. Eventually she managed (somewhat shakily) that she wanted her gone, before storming off just as shakily.

She doesn't taste like coffee.

It was a strange first thought, but it was what hit her first the moment their lips touched. Not that she wasn't grateful Gemma put in the effort to get minty fresh for her too. Plenty of her male co-stars hadn't returned the favor. The kiss seemed to last forever and a moment all at once and when she was pushed away the shock on her face was genuine not just because of Gemma's abruptness. Veruca couldn't quite believe what that felt like. She was in it, yes. She knew this was exactly the way things were supposed to go. She and Gemma were on the same wavelength, she and Olive were too, but there was something else slowly creeping into the back of her mind.

She had lived parts of this moment. Every queer person had at least one rejection story. You couldn't always gauge whether a person was truly interested. You'd blame yourself for the misread signs, even if you had been so sure moments before. And no matter how gently you were let down you didn't just feel embarrassed. For a moment, you felt sick, ashamed, exposed.

Veruca's own moment happened in college. She'd been so sure a girl named Heather liked her too, convinced the other woman was flirting for weeks only to get that same shove the moment their lips touched.

What the fuck, Veruca?! You're a dyke?!

They were what tipped her over the edge. The feeling broke the levee and turned the uncomfortable pressure behind her eyelids into full on crying. Nothing would ever be the same. Elizabeth hated her now. She was sending her away. The loss of her would be bad enough, but Olive was slowly but surely beginning to realize she needed Will too. She was totally and completely lost, alone again like she always had been and it was her own fault.

She shouldn't have done anything. Maybe she had somehow lead Will on. Oh god, Elizabeth hated her.

It was next to impossible to stop crying in real life. Scenes were no different. Tears couldn't be turned off like the taps in your kitchen which is why Veruca still found herself crying even after they called cut. She took deep breaths, trying to pull herself together quickly but she'd drawn a little too much on personal experience to really shake scene off that easily. And even if the rejection hadn't struck a chord (Heather had been nothing but a footnote in the grand scheme of things, but Veruca had never forgotten that feeling, that fear and never would, she'd just never really revisited it because of how bad it had made her feel) the kiss certainly would have. How could the loss of that feeling and scorn from the person you loved most not break your heart.

"You okay, Vee?" Angela called and Veruca nodded so quickly she felt a little dizzy, holding up a hand as if to say, hold on it'll only be a minute. Her vision was blurred when she looked up again, but she didn't seek out the director and their approval like she usually did after a big scene. She found herself looking for Gemma.

"That was great," Angela chimed in gently. "But I think I want to do the kiss again."

In the moments directly following her split from Veruca's lips, Gemma felt like her own still buzzed with some kind of electricity. It was probably some outlandish idea to have in her head, but was there nonetheless. As she stood off to the side and waited for cut to be called, her fingertips touched absentmindedly to her lips, gently rubbing against them. She felt lost in thought, a little dazed and still grappling with the high emotions from the scene.

Then there was, truly, the look on her face. Gemma couldn't tear her eyes away from watching Veruca, her own heart twisting painfully in her chest. She may have understood, without even needing the explanation from the other woman. Rejection as not an easy thing to grapple with, even when it was "just" their characters. Gemma had experienced her own fair share throughout her life, that terror of putting yourself out there only to have your hopes dashed in the dirt. She'd done her own rejecting, sure, when a friend had wanted something more from her and she just wasn't in a position to give it.

But someone you felt a genuine connection with, someone you knew somewhere deep down felt the same way -- that was a harder pill to swallow. Elizabeth, somewhere deep in her soul loved Olive, but was too terrified of what that meant. The bold, brazen, unfiltered Elizabeth Marston was terrified of a young woman who loved her. And so, that came with it lashing out in anger, a deflection intended to hurt. Elizabeth felt a certain way about it, but Gemma hated to see that look on Veruca's face. She wanted to comfort her, even before the moment was over. She wanted to throw the script away and kiss her again -- but that was a sudden urge that she quickly shoved away.

As cut was called, she released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Give us a sec?" She strode back on set with purpose, only barely aware that their crew was starting to reset to go again. "God, Elizabeth is such a bitch." It was her overly exaggerated attempt at a joke before she was upon Veruca and wrapping her arms around her in a big hug. The gesture was meant to be exaggerated and cute, but one hand came to the back of her shoulder and the other to the small of her back, and both clenched a little tighter. "You're bloody brilliant." She hummed quietly against her ear, her lips close enough to touch her skin before she finally let her go. As she did, her hands squeezed Veruca's arms as she leveled her gaze with her.

Gemma didn't say anything else, just a small smile. She hated that through the many takes that were to come, she'd have to break her heart again and again. Honestly, Gemma hadn't anticipated that it would hurt so much to do so. "Guess we've got to snog a few more times." She said quietly, winking as she let her arms drop back to her sides.

Veruca may have been able to get the tears to stop but she still felt out of sorts once they did. She was a crier in real life, someone friends often teased because she'd get all worked up over books and holiday commercials and took it in stride, but nobody liked being seen at their most vulnerable. Even if it was their job. The need to pull herself together in front of them quickly overrode her feelings, but she still wasn't all there. In a daze of her own over everything that had just happened. She nodded in agreement when Angela said they'd have to kiss again, not really listening.

Gemma pulled her back into reality. She hadn't expected her to come over. She hadn't expected her praise even though Angela provided some moments before. She certainly hadn't expected her to hold her. Or shiver that slid up her spine when the other woman's lips found her ear.

Her smile was somewhat weak, but genuine. "Thank you." She stood up a bit straighter, managing another one and a joke of her own. "I'll try not to fall into you this time."

She got about two steps away before make up descended. "Oh god, is it bad? Am I a splotchy mess?" Her laugh was soft, but genuine, a sign she was in good spirits again. Once they had touched everything up, she started back toward her entrance, though she couldn't resist a probably unnecessary glance back at Gemma before she headed around the corner.

When the time came for them to kiss again, Veruca didn't grab her quite as firmly as she did the first time around, a bit scared of tripping into her again. Angela seemed to have noticed her hesitation and gently prompted her to try again. Veruca nodded in agreement, but her eyes were on Gemma's because they both knew what had to happen next. She waited a moment before going in for another kiss because she knew it was important for the kiss to be a surprise on Elizabeth's part, but the kiss was even more desperate and needy than the first, her fingers curling into Elizabeth's thick wool sweater. Veruca wasn't clumsy this time around, but her heart still skipped a beat, especially when Gemma's lips parted under hers.

Gemma had always been someone who made sure to bring comfort her fellow actors on set, even more so during highly vulnerable scenes when she had a scene partner like Veruca. It was imperative that they rely on each other for the strength to draw on for the next take and the next, and the coverage. She knew some actors who would peace out of a scene as soon as their own coverage was done, leaving their scene partner to act against their stand-in. Those people were easily on a list that Gemma refused to ever work with again. Being present was part of what made an actor's work ... well, work. So it felt natural for Gemma to gather Veruca in her arms and encourage her, never mind that it made her feel far more warm than she anticipated it would.

"Oh I'm pretty sturdy, I can handle it." She winked again, grinning as an ease came over her in the aftermath of all that. Gemma still felt warm, this kind of flush of feeling she had to attribute to Elizabeth. She had to.

Gemma was similarly descended upon, most care going to her lips and cheeks. She laughed a little at Veruca's comment but focused much of her attention on diverting her gaze away from the other woman. It was too easy to stare, otherwise. Her mind was awash with the lingering affects that she apparently got from kissing Veruca.

She shouldn't be thinking that, and vastly wasn't once the cameras were rolling again. She focused on her lines and the emotion behind them, her voice broke the time they kissed and Angela told them to go again. Gemma remained securely in the moment with Veruca, not breaking eye contact as she pressed her lips together and took a step back to her mark. One more time with her line, and their mouths crushed together again. One of her hands gripped Veruca's side as they kissed, fully indulging in the depth of their kiss. She kissed her without so much hesitation this time, barely reminding herself not to sweep her tongue over Veruca's lips. Maybe it went on a beat ... or two... longer than they'd rehearsed, and when she shoved her away with that devastating line, her voice felt barely audible, choking on the words. She knew how flushed and dark her eyes must be, her breathing a little ragged as she finished the scene and stormed off, only barely able to breathe over her thundering heartbeat.

Even though she knew she'd have to drum up the same unpleasant emotions she was trying to shake the moment it was over, Gemma's kiss lifted Veruca's spirits more than it probably should have. After their first two practice runs, Veruca was getting used to kissing her, learning just how far she needed to bend down to catch her lips, even which way Gemma seemed to instinctively turn her head. It was becoming automatic and when you didn't have to think about things, you started to enjoy them.

Or at least that was what Veruca tried to tell herself as she kissed Gemma harder, chasing the thrill quickly building in the pit of her stomach. On some level she knew that she was probably overdoing it. That they were going a little too long, but the scene was over a moment later. Angela said she was happy with it and Veruca gave her a lopsided smile. A job well done normally meant she would give her co-stars one too but she couldn't seem to look at Gemma, almost certain her cheeks would flush just as much as they had when they were kissing.

She'd never had to come down from a kissing scene before. Her mind was spinning, her skin still buzzing with a faint electric hum, but she knew this was hardly the time to sort it out. She needed to keep it together. She needed to keep it together until she got home to sort out her very fraught day. Luke's little comment, kissing Gemma, crying her eyes out.

It was no wonder she was feeling out of sorts.

But deep down she knew it wasn't stress.

"What are we um...." She raked a hand through her hair before quickly walking over to grab her purse. She suddenly wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. "Are we still following the schedule for tomorrow?"

"Yup," Angela chirped. "The big love scene with everyone."

Great. More kissing. More kissing with added Luke, the one person who already thought she was into Gemma and would surely call her out on it if she acted like this again tomorrow.

Throwing Luke into the equation added its own set of challenges, but there was no denying tomorrow's material would probably be less emotionally draining on Veruca. She wouldn't have to cry her out eyes anymore at least. Okay, sure, she and Gemma would have to have another intense spat, but and there would be some hesitation, but they would kiss and Elizabeth would give in this time.

It was total surrender.

Why was that idea as terrifying as it was thrilling?

Why was it thrilling to Veruca at all?

"Great. Sounds awesome, I should..."

"Vee?"

"Yeah?"

"Your costume?"

Veruca blinked, then slid her purse off her shoulder. "Oh god, yeah I..." She laughed nervously, a bit too cheerful for her own ears. "Long day," she said before disappearing around the corner.