(un)titled pre-series fic
Author: Elyse412
Title: (un)titled
Characters/Couples: Matt/Harriet
Rating: PG
Spoilers: none (pre-series)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: A series of loosely related (untitled) pre-series fics.
I
"Great show, Jeannie," Harriet said as she entered the dressing room the two shared.
Harriet pushed the mountain of clothes that covered their couch to the side and sat down in one quick motion, an expansive grin crossing her face as she thought back on the night's show. Her first time with a featured role in a sketch - and she had killed.
"You too," Jeannie replied.
"Thanks," Harriet began to take the black wig she was wearing off.
A soft knocking at their door only briefly lifted Harriet out of her reverie.
"Come on in," Jeannie invited.
The door opened a crack before Matt stuck his head through the opening. Upon seeing that Jeannie and Harriet were dressed he opened the door fully.
"Great show guys," He said, still leaning in the doorway. "Harry, you killed tonight, really."
"Thanks," Harriet threw the wig on top of the pile of clothes next to her on the sofa. "It was a great sketch, thanks Matt. I'm just glad we finally got one on the air."
"Yeah well," Matt surveyed the room. As his eyes passed from Jeannie to Harriet, he silently debated if he should go all the way into their dressing room. "You really did great tonight, I really mean it."
Matt was silent for a beat more before turning around and mumbling something about maybe seeing her at the wrap party.
Jeannie waited until Matt disappeared down the hallway before collapsing into laughter.
"What?" Harriet asked. "What is it?"
"He has it so bad for you."
"Matt?" Harriet shook her head. "No, he's seeing that PA." The one with the big fat ass, she silently added in her head.
"He's only seeing that PA because you were dating Luke."
"No," Harriet shook her head once more.
"Then how come all of the sketches he writes are for you?"
"Were a… team. Were like a creative team."
"Trust me, Harry. I know Matt. Plus, the sketch was called Unrequited Lover-boy how do you think he came up with that one?"
Harriet sighed as she leaned back against the couch. They had come up with that one together.
II
"So, you have a crush on Harriet," Danny announced out of the blue.
"What? I… I don't… What would make you think that?"
"So you don't like her?"
"Well of course I like her; she's a very likeable person," Matt mulled over the possibilities. "I like her hair. I like how it's all curly. And she's funny; I like that. I like when she makes me laugh, and I really like when I make her laugh, because that's not very easy to do. She smiles a lot, and I like when she smiles at me. She has this little overbite… I like that too."
"Is that it?' Danny asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.
"That and some other things."
"You are so screwed."
"I know."
III
"We need to get out of the studio," Matt announced with authority as he shut his laptop. It was that declaration that had Matt and Harriet out on the open road, the only intention being a change of scenery and an escape from writer's block.
Idly, Harriet stretched in passenger's seat and watched the cars whiz by. They all appeared to be actually going somewhere. The air conditioner was cranked up to the max and she shivered just a little when she turned her gaze to Matt. (The air conditioning, yeah, that was why.)
Matt wanted to say something as he noticed Harriet watching him drive. The only thing that stopped him was the fear that whatever words he came up with would break the spell of silence and the something else that that had enveloped them recently (something good).
Instead he put on the turn signal and took the next exit off the highway for no other reason than that if he kept driving they would probably end up in Canada. At least that is what it had felt like to him; because, truth be told, he wanted to be alone with her for as long as possible. And if complete honesty were to be applied to the situation that was why he had really wanted to leave the studio. Of course those were things he only imagined telling Harriet.
He pulled into a parking lot adjacent the beach with a decent view of the ocean. This is where his 'spend time alone with Harriet' plan ended.
"I like this song," Harriet said as Matt was about to turn off the engine.
Fields of Gold. "Me too," Matt agreed, leaving the engine run.
It was then that Matt decided to lean over and kiss her, with the feeling that he had reached his destination.
IV
Bodies pressed together, moving mostly to the music and somewhat of their own accord; being so close to Harriet was all new to Matt. Of course they had danced together before, her with grace and he - well, with something less than grace. Things were different now. Kinda.
Relationships were never easy for Matt and the tradition of courtship was an almost alien concept to him. But he had realized something very early on during his time with Harriet Hayes - she was the kind of girl that was to be courted. At least he hoped so because he was, for lack of a better term, attempting to court her.
Last Wednesday they had gone out to dinner; a genuine, at a restaurant - not at the studio - first date dinner. They had argued before the appetizers even came and ended the evening with a goodnight kiss. He had sent flowers the next day, reluctantly following Danny's advice.
Since then things had progressed far better than he could have hoped. At last week's wrap party they had made out like teenagers in the coat check room before Wes had caught them. The next day they took in a film festival at the movie theatre and had a casual dinner. It was the kind of day he thought only happened in Meg Ryan movies. It all felt very couple-ish to Matt.
Now Matt was wondering where, exactly, they stood.
Harriet might have said something to Matt while they were out on the dance floor. It was hard to hear anything as the music pulsed around them. Then again, wrap parties weren't usually the setting for close talks; they were a way to blow off steam before the cycle of pressure and deadlines began all over again.
Matt leaned in closer. "Is this a date?" Harriet asked.
Umm," he didn't know how to answer. Was it?
"Because there was dinner last Wednesday."
"Right," Matt agreed.
"Then the film festival…"
"Also true," Matt concurred.
"So if tonight is a date, it would be our third date, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Good," Harriet whispered in his ear. "Because I don't have sex until the third date."
Matt wasn't sure where that fell in with the rules of courtship, but as he and Harriet made their way towards the exit it didn't seem to matter.
V
In the beginning God created man, and it was good.
In the beginning they were invincible. Matt would write she would perform and when they were alone their bodies knew just what to do - they had been created for each other - and it was good.
Title: (un)titled
Characters/Couples: Matt/Harriet
Rating: PG
Spoilers: none (pre-series)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: A series of loosely related (untitled) pre-series fics.
I
"Great show, Jeannie," Harriet said as she entered the dressing room the two shared.
Harriet pushed the mountain of clothes that covered their couch to the side and sat down in one quick motion, an expansive grin crossing her face as she thought back on the night's show. Her first time with a featured role in a sketch - and she had killed.
"You too," Jeannie replied.
"Thanks," Harriet began to take the black wig she was wearing off.
A soft knocking at their door only briefly lifted Harriet out of her reverie.
"Come on in," Jeannie invited.
The door opened a crack before Matt stuck his head through the opening. Upon seeing that Jeannie and Harriet were dressed he opened the door fully.
"Great show guys," He said, still leaning in the doorway. "Harry, you killed tonight, really."
"Thanks," Harriet threw the wig on top of the pile of clothes next to her on the sofa. "It was a great sketch, thanks Matt. I'm just glad we finally got one on the air."
"Yeah well," Matt surveyed the room. As his eyes passed from Jeannie to Harriet, he silently debated if he should go all the way into their dressing room. "You really did great tonight, I really mean it."
Matt was silent for a beat more before turning around and mumbling something about maybe seeing her at the wrap party.
Jeannie waited until Matt disappeared down the hallway before collapsing into laughter.
"What?" Harriet asked. "What is it?"
"He has it so bad for you."
"Matt?" Harriet shook her head. "No, he's seeing that PA." The one with the big fat ass, she silently added in her head.
"He's only seeing that PA because you were dating Luke."
"No," Harriet shook her head once more.
"Then how come all of the sketches he writes are for you?"
"Were a… team. Were like a creative team."
"Trust me, Harry. I know Matt. Plus, the sketch was called Unrequited Lover-boy how do you think he came up with that one?"
Harriet sighed as she leaned back against the couch. They had come up with that one together.
II
"So, you have a crush on Harriet," Danny announced out of the blue.
"What? I… I don't… What would make you think that?"
"So you don't like her?"
"Well of course I like her; she's a very likeable person," Matt mulled over the possibilities. "I like her hair. I like how it's all curly. And she's funny; I like that. I like when she makes me laugh, and I really like when I make her laugh, because that's not very easy to do. She smiles a lot, and I like when she smiles at me. She has this little overbite… I like that too."
"Is that it?' Danny asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.
"That and some other things."
"You are so screwed."
"I know."
III
"We need to get out of the studio," Matt announced with authority as he shut his laptop. It was that declaration that had Matt and Harriet out on the open road, the only intention being a change of scenery and an escape from writer's block.
Idly, Harriet stretched in passenger's seat and watched the cars whiz by. They all appeared to be actually going somewhere. The air conditioner was cranked up to the max and she shivered just a little when she turned her gaze to Matt. (The air conditioning, yeah, that was why.)
Matt wanted to say something as he noticed Harriet watching him drive. The only thing that stopped him was the fear that whatever words he came up with would break the spell of silence and the something else that that had enveloped them recently (something good).
Instead he put on the turn signal and took the next exit off the highway for no other reason than that if he kept driving they would probably end up in Canada. At least that is what it had felt like to him; because, truth be told, he wanted to be alone with her for as long as possible. And if complete honesty were to be applied to the situation that was why he had really wanted to leave the studio. Of course those were things he only imagined telling Harriet.
He pulled into a parking lot adjacent the beach with a decent view of the ocean. This is where his 'spend time alone with Harriet' plan ended.
"I like this song," Harriet said as Matt was about to turn off the engine.
Fields of Gold. "Me too," Matt agreed, leaving the engine run.
It was then that Matt decided to lean over and kiss her, with the feeling that he had reached his destination.
IV
Bodies pressed together, moving mostly to the music and somewhat of their own accord; being so close to Harriet was all new to Matt. Of course they had danced together before, her with grace and he - well, with something less than grace. Things were different now. Kinda.
Relationships were never easy for Matt and the tradition of courtship was an almost alien concept to him. But he had realized something very early on during his time with Harriet Hayes - she was the kind of girl that was to be courted. At least he hoped so because he was, for lack of a better term, attempting to court her.
Last Wednesday they had gone out to dinner; a genuine, at a restaurant - not at the studio - first date dinner. They had argued before the appetizers even came and ended the evening with a goodnight kiss. He had sent flowers the next day, reluctantly following Danny's advice.
Since then things had progressed far better than he could have hoped. At last week's wrap party they had made out like teenagers in the coat check room before Wes had caught them. The next day they took in a film festival at the movie theatre and had a casual dinner. It was the kind of day he thought only happened in Meg Ryan movies. It all felt very couple-ish to Matt.
Now Matt was wondering where, exactly, they stood.
Harriet might have said something to Matt while they were out on the dance floor. It was hard to hear anything as the music pulsed around them. Then again, wrap parties weren't usually the setting for close talks; they were a way to blow off steam before the cycle of pressure and deadlines began all over again.
Matt leaned in closer. "Is this a date?" Harriet asked.
Umm," he didn't know how to answer. Was it?
"Because there was dinner last Wednesday."
"Right," Matt agreed.
"Then the film festival…"
"Also true," Matt concurred.
"So if tonight is a date, it would be our third date, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Good," Harriet whispered in his ear. "Because I don't have sex until the third date."
Matt wasn't sure where that fell in with the rules of courtship, but as he and Harriet made their way towards the exit it didn't seem to matter.
V
In the beginning God created man, and it was good.
In the beginning they were invincible. Matt would write she would perform and when they were alone their bodies knew just what to do - they had been created for each other - and it was good.