Like A Virgin - Chapter 37 (Jayma Mays/Matthew Morrison)
Title: Like A Virgin
Author: emmaschuester
Pairing/Characters: Jayma Mays/Matthew Morrison
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Harmless fun, no offence intended. Pure work of fiction.
Spoilers: None.
Summary/Author's Notes: New chapter! Hope you enjoy.
"...But I just... I don't even think of it in terms of Wemma, or, you know. I just love being an actor, getting to do a scene with Jayma Mays. It's just amazing." Crap. He couldn't just shut the hell up, could he? He braced himself to the inevitable question.
"How's that going, by the way? You two are always one of the cutest couples on the red carpet!"
He somehow managed to suppress the grimace that was making its way on his face. "Thank you. Though I like to think we're much more than that." He closed his answer with a wink and a chuckle, hoping not to sound as annoyed as he felt, but the E! interviewer seemed quite amused. Luckily, his PR jumped in and saved him, pulling him by the arm to another microphone, as she shot the journalist a "No personal questions." warning.
----
He looked at the ceiling, laying on their bed, lost in thoughts. The Fox Winter TCA had been a close call. A really close call. He could clearly recall the irritation he had felt at the E! reporter after that question - and she was just doing her job. But lately, it was getting more and more difficult for them to avoid paparazzi and questions. Especially paparazzi. And January, with its full schedule of network engagements and award shows, was no help for sure.
Golden Globes hadn't been too bad. They had arrived late on the red carpet and had been kidnapped by different reporters almost immediately; considering the Glee win, all the interviews afterwards had been group ones, and luckily, the camera hadn't caught her running a hand in his hair after his loss to Jim Parson- not that he was expecting to win, anyway.
"...Matt? What do you think?"
She had entered their bedroom, her stylist hot on her heels, wearing a beautiful, pinkish-coloured gown, that opened at her right hip, showing off her toned leg. He got up a little, leaning back on his elbows, as she twirled on herself giggling. "You like?"
"Well. I'm not sure 'like' is a strong enough word. You look like a princess. Love the pink...ish." He chuckled.
Her stylist smiled at him. "Dusty rose. The color."
"Well, then this dusty rose is absolutely amazing on you." He got up and took her hand. "You're beautiful."
She blushed a little, ever shy under his adoring look, turned around to look at them in the mirror, and burst into laughter. "Now, this is quite the sight. Me in this amazing dress and you in sweatpants and t-shirt. With holes, I should add."
He chuckled and got closer, to whisper in her ear. "Well, you know, the t-shirt can be gone in half a second... as soon as we're alone."
She shot him a wicked glance, turned, and left the room to get changed. He closed the door behind him and pulled his old t-shirt over his head, throwing it on the dresser. If he knew her half as well as he thought, the dress was being carefully stacked back in her wardrobe and her stylist was being gently ushered to the door.
-------
"Holy crap." The atmosphere at SAGs had been very relaxed the previous year, but as soon as they got out of their limo, they were met with a solid wall of screams from the fans watching the red carpet. He placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd to the photographers' spot, since it couldn't be avoided.
They posed together for a few minutes, then got some solo shots; as soon as they moved along, he found himself face to face with an Access Hollywood reporter he had already spoken to at the Globes.
He shot her his trademark grin. "Hey, how's it going? You're not breaking your waters on the carpet, right?" She was pregnant and they had already joked about her baby helping her out on the red carpet before.
She laughed. "No, I think I'm okay." She slapped his arm, jokingly. "What about you? Are you gonna reproduce any time soon?"
His eyes instinctively looked for her in the crowd, he didn't want her to overhear baby talks, not after their last talk about that. She was doing an interview with Chord. "Umh..." he stammered. "You know... one step at a time."
"Right. Marriage first, kids second, right? Got something to tell me, Matt? Are you about to break all your fans' hearts?"
He managed to chuckle instead of choking her. "Nope, no news. I'll tell you what. If and when the time for announcements comes, you'll be the first to know. You or your baby who will be holding the mike for you."
With another laugh and a small hug, he managed to escape, and, after a quick glance at his watch, he was soon on his way inside; he found her as she made her way to their table, his hand reaching for hers. "Jeez." He breathed in her ear. "I'm this close to turning off from doing interviews altogether."
She looked at him with an understanding smile and squeezed his hand a little; before either of them could realize it, several flashes had gone off. He dragged her to their seats a bit faster, slumping on his chair.
"What's the big deal if we hold hands?" He ran a hand in his hair, frustrated, turning to Jane. "Seriously. It's official. We're out. Together. So what??"
His co-star laid a hand on his forearm. "You just have to let it go, Matt. Can't let this get to your head. Ignore it when you can, and try and play it cool when you can't avoid it." Jane smiled at the both of them. "I know it's harder for you than it is for me and Lara, with what Glee has become. My only advice, just think about the two of you, what you have together. Nothing else matters."
Her words somehow managed to calm him a little, and Jayma's hand running gently on his knee and thigh conveyed a warm, soothing feeling, and he took her hand in his two, kissing it repeatedly.
A photographer approached their table asking for a pic, and, noticing their embarassement, Kevin jumped right in, offering a group shot instead.
They both silently thanked him, laughing a little when Lea came to sit in Matt's lap claiming there just was no other place left. She had been a real saviour at the Globes, posing for pics with him until it was time to go, and was proving over and over to be a good friend to the both of them.
------
Instead of dying down, paparazzi's attention had increased exponentially in the following days. They had no idea why it was happening, and now of all times, maybe it was the lack of big Hollywood scandals? They just knew it was annoying and was forcing them inside the house more than usual, and for Matt, especially, the situation was more than unwelcome, considering the little turquoise box that had been sitting in one of the drawers of his dresser, buried under thick wool sweaters unfit for the warm LA winters.
He had got the ring only three days before, after countless hours spent researching for the perfect one, that could suit her completely and wouldn't remind her in any way of her previous one- the thought it would be her second one giving him a weird, tight feeling in his chest every time.
He had stalled for a few days, wondering if it was too soon, if he'd scare or push her into something she wasn't quite ready for.
Then The Grove happened.
His first solo concert. One of the biggest thrills of his life. Knowing those people were there for him, and him only, to hear him sing, he had never felt more alive.
That was, until he lifted his eyes, while singing "My Name", the song he had written, and had spotted her in the VIP section, with Marissa and a bunch of Glee costars. She was looking at him with an intensity like he had never witnessed before, and they locked eyes for a second. When, towards the end of the concert, he had looked up again, she was holding Zev in her lap, dancing with him along the notes of "Great Balls of Fire".
He had hardly entered the backstage room, a towel on his damp forehead, before she threw herself in his arms, laughing and wiping tears away at the same time, repeating over and over how amazing he had been, how proud and happy she was, and just how much she loved him, and it was all he could do to hug her tight, lifting her off the floor a little as he kissed her neck, unable to process the amount of great things all happening at once.
He had set off for the recording studio about an hour later, but had called to say he'd be late, and his car stopped on its own in front of Tiffany's, his heart beating faster than it had on stage only a couple of hours earlier, his mind set on that one ring, the one that had screamed her name from the first time he had seen it online, the one that had seemed so familiar as he went through the store a few days earlier. Ironic how the most important purchase of his life had also been probably the fastest, most certain one he had ever done. And now that box was sitting there, among his unused winter sweaters, and he was dying to give it to her. He had rehearsed his speech in his mind a thousand times, but couldn't stand the thought of gossip pictures around the web, of strangers judging them as if they knew, and so the box was left there, a constant reminder of what he hated and who he loved, a spur to make a change, somehow, sometime.
--------
The occasion had presented itself at a private dinner party in Dallas, where they were all spending the Superbowl weekend. Jayma had never been a football fan but, as she claimed, she was "very much a fan of spending time with him", and was excited to see him cheer for his favorite team at such a big event.
The evening had been nice and relaxed, very low-key, but still, photographers were at every corner, and he knew she felt self-conscious about simple things, like holding his hand, and the thought alone made him angry at the world all over again.
He crept behind her as she was chatting with Jenna and Chord, and sneaked his hands around her waist, holding her in his arms. She looked at him, startled by the boldness of his public gesture, but he just smiled at her, and proceeded to lay small kisses behind her ear. It was a sweet scene, not inappropriate for the circumstances, but a definite first for them, always careful not even to indulge too much in hand-holding in public.
When he heard the distinct clicks of cameras, he hid his face in her hair, his hands slowly running on her stomach and sides so that she eventually relaxed a little into him. Chord caught his eye and mouthed an "About time, mate." that made him chuckle.
-----------
"...so, are we saying yes to PDAs now?" She threaded her fingers with his as they left the party in a car, a couple of hours later.
He shrugged. "We're saying yes to being ourselves. If it's okay with you. I'm just a bit... tired of being so over-careful when I'm around you in public." He looked at her. "Would this be okay with you?"
She nodded. "I don't think either of our PRs is going to be thrilled. But yeah. This back-and-forth is tiring. And confusing." She stared at their entwined hands. "After all, we're in this for the long haul."
He smiled, and laid a kiss on her forehead, wishing he hadn't left the ring all the way back in LA.
-----
Consequences did came the following morning, in the form of several missed calls by their respective PR agencies: as he expected, no big catastrophe had happened, the world was still spinning, and yes, they were all over the web, some even tracing a red circle around his hand on her belly, hinting at a pregnancy, rumor that was swiftly shot down by their reps, but he didn't care, not even a little bit, because finally he felt like he could breathe deep again.
They spent the morning lounging in their room, happy as if a big weight had been taken off their shoulders at last. That was, until Jayma's phone chirped, signalling an incoming email. From Adam.
It was just a picture of the previous night, one of those that had started the baby rumor. "Moving pretty fast, I see. You ruined my life."
She stared at the screen, dumbfounded, until Matt came over, and she just flipped the phone so he could read, suppressing a sob, and before she knew it he was hugging her tight, whispering soothing words, as she let herself fall apart, and he wondered yet another time if they were ready to take the next step, or better, if she was, and promising himself to go and face Adam first thing on Monday.
___________________________
Hope you enjoyed! :) I always love to read your thoughts and reviews, good or bad. :)
Thank you so much to Becca and Pauline for your help.
Author: emmaschuester
Pairing/Characters: Jayma Mays/Matthew Morrison
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Harmless fun, no offence intended. Pure work of fiction.
Spoilers: None.
Summary/Author's Notes: New chapter! Hope you enjoy.
"...But I just... I don't even think of it in terms of Wemma, or, you know. I just love being an actor, getting to do a scene with Jayma Mays. It's just amazing." Crap. He couldn't just shut the hell up, could he? He braced himself to the inevitable question.
"How's that going, by the way? You two are always one of the cutest couples on the red carpet!"
He somehow managed to suppress the grimace that was making its way on his face. "Thank you. Though I like to think we're much more than that." He closed his answer with a wink and a chuckle, hoping not to sound as annoyed as he felt, but the E! interviewer seemed quite amused. Luckily, his PR jumped in and saved him, pulling him by the arm to another microphone, as she shot the journalist a "No personal questions." warning.
----
He looked at the ceiling, laying on their bed, lost in thoughts. The Fox Winter TCA had been a close call. A really close call. He could clearly recall the irritation he had felt at the E! reporter after that question - and she was just doing her job. But lately, it was getting more and more difficult for them to avoid paparazzi and questions. Especially paparazzi. And January, with its full schedule of network engagements and award shows, was no help for sure.
Golden Globes hadn't been too bad. They had arrived late on the red carpet and had been kidnapped by different reporters almost immediately; considering the Glee win, all the interviews afterwards had been group ones, and luckily, the camera hadn't caught her running a hand in his hair after his loss to Jim Parson- not that he was expecting to win, anyway.
"...Matt? What do you think?"
She had entered their bedroom, her stylist hot on her heels, wearing a beautiful, pinkish-coloured gown, that opened at her right hip, showing off her toned leg. He got up a little, leaning back on his elbows, as she twirled on herself giggling. "You like?"
"Well. I'm not sure 'like' is a strong enough word. You look like a princess. Love the pink...ish." He chuckled.
Her stylist smiled at him. "Dusty rose. The color."
"Well, then this dusty rose is absolutely amazing on you." He got up and took her hand. "You're beautiful."
She blushed a little, ever shy under his adoring look, turned around to look at them in the mirror, and burst into laughter. "Now, this is quite the sight. Me in this amazing dress and you in sweatpants and t-shirt. With holes, I should add."
He chuckled and got closer, to whisper in her ear. "Well, you know, the t-shirt can be gone in half a second... as soon as we're alone."
She shot him a wicked glance, turned, and left the room to get changed. He closed the door behind him and pulled his old t-shirt over his head, throwing it on the dresser. If he knew her half as well as he thought, the dress was being carefully stacked back in her wardrobe and her stylist was being gently ushered to the door.
-------
"Holy crap." The atmosphere at SAGs had been very relaxed the previous year, but as soon as they got out of their limo, they were met with a solid wall of screams from the fans watching the red carpet. He placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd to the photographers' spot, since it couldn't be avoided.
They posed together for a few minutes, then got some solo shots; as soon as they moved along, he found himself face to face with an Access Hollywood reporter he had already spoken to at the Globes.
He shot her his trademark grin. "Hey, how's it going? You're not breaking your waters on the carpet, right?" She was pregnant and they had already joked about her baby helping her out on the red carpet before.
She laughed. "No, I think I'm okay." She slapped his arm, jokingly. "What about you? Are you gonna reproduce any time soon?"
His eyes instinctively looked for her in the crowd, he didn't want her to overhear baby talks, not after their last talk about that. She was doing an interview with Chord. "Umh..." he stammered. "You know... one step at a time."
"Right. Marriage first, kids second, right? Got something to tell me, Matt? Are you about to break all your fans' hearts?"
He managed to chuckle instead of choking her. "Nope, no news. I'll tell you what. If and when the time for announcements comes, you'll be the first to know. You or your baby who will be holding the mike for you."
With another laugh and a small hug, he managed to escape, and, after a quick glance at his watch, he was soon on his way inside; he found her as she made her way to their table, his hand reaching for hers. "Jeez." He breathed in her ear. "I'm this close to turning off from doing interviews altogether."
She looked at him with an understanding smile and squeezed his hand a little; before either of them could realize it, several flashes had gone off. He dragged her to their seats a bit faster, slumping on his chair.
"What's the big deal if we hold hands?" He ran a hand in his hair, frustrated, turning to Jane. "Seriously. It's official. We're out. Together. So what??"
His co-star laid a hand on his forearm. "You just have to let it go, Matt. Can't let this get to your head. Ignore it when you can, and try and play it cool when you can't avoid it." Jane smiled at the both of them. "I know it's harder for you than it is for me and Lara, with what Glee has become. My only advice, just think about the two of you, what you have together. Nothing else matters."
Her words somehow managed to calm him a little, and Jayma's hand running gently on his knee and thigh conveyed a warm, soothing feeling, and he took her hand in his two, kissing it repeatedly.
A photographer approached their table asking for a pic, and, noticing their embarassement, Kevin jumped right in, offering a group shot instead.
They both silently thanked him, laughing a little when Lea came to sit in Matt's lap claiming there just was no other place left. She had been a real saviour at the Globes, posing for pics with him until it was time to go, and was proving over and over to be a good friend to the both of them.
------
Instead of dying down, paparazzi's attention had increased exponentially in the following days. They had no idea why it was happening, and now of all times, maybe it was the lack of big Hollywood scandals? They just knew it was annoying and was forcing them inside the house more than usual, and for Matt, especially, the situation was more than unwelcome, considering the little turquoise box that had been sitting in one of the drawers of his dresser, buried under thick wool sweaters unfit for the warm LA winters.
He had got the ring only three days before, after countless hours spent researching for the perfect one, that could suit her completely and wouldn't remind her in any way of her previous one- the thought it would be her second one giving him a weird, tight feeling in his chest every time.
He had stalled for a few days, wondering if it was too soon, if he'd scare or push her into something she wasn't quite ready for.
Then The Grove happened.
His first solo concert. One of the biggest thrills of his life. Knowing those people were there for him, and him only, to hear him sing, he had never felt more alive.
That was, until he lifted his eyes, while singing "My Name", the song he had written, and had spotted her in the VIP section, with Marissa and a bunch of Glee costars. She was looking at him with an intensity like he had never witnessed before, and they locked eyes for a second. When, towards the end of the concert, he had looked up again, she was holding Zev in her lap, dancing with him along the notes of "Great Balls of Fire".
He had hardly entered the backstage room, a towel on his damp forehead, before she threw herself in his arms, laughing and wiping tears away at the same time, repeating over and over how amazing he had been, how proud and happy she was, and just how much she loved him, and it was all he could do to hug her tight, lifting her off the floor a little as he kissed her neck, unable to process the amount of great things all happening at once.
He had set off for the recording studio about an hour later, but had called to say he'd be late, and his car stopped on its own in front of Tiffany's, his heart beating faster than it had on stage only a couple of hours earlier, his mind set on that one ring, the one that had screamed her name from the first time he had seen it online, the one that had seemed so familiar as he went through the store a few days earlier. Ironic how the most important purchase of his life had also been probably the fastest, most certain one he had ever done. And now that box was sitting there, among his unused winter sweaters, and he was dying to give it to her. He had rehearsed his speech in his mind a thousand times, but couldn't stand the thought of gossip pictures around the web, of strangers judging them as if they knew, and so the box was left there, a constant reminder of what he hated and who he loved, a spur to make a change, somehow, sometime.
--------
The occasion had presented itself at a private dinner party in Dallas, where they were all spending the Superbowl weekend. Jayma had never been a football fan but, as she claimed, she was "very much a fan of spending time with him", and was excited to see him cheer for his favorite team at such a big event.
The evening had been nice and relaxed, very low-key, but still, photographers were at every corner, and he knew she felt self-conscious about simple things, like holding his hand, and the thought alone made him angry at the world all over again.
He crept behind her as she was chatting with Jenna and Chord, and sneaked his hands around her waist, holding her in his arms. She looked at him, startled by the boldness of his public gesture, but he just smiled at her, and proceeded to lay small kisses behind her ear. It was a sweet scene, not inappropriate for the circumstances, but a definite first for them, always careful not even to indulge too much in hand-holding in public.
When he heard the distinct clicks of cameras, he hid his face in her hair, his hands slowly running on her stomach and sides so that she eventually relaxed a little into him. Chord caught his eye and mouthed an "About time, mate." that made him chuckle.
-----------
"...so, are we saying yes to PDAs now?" She threaded her fingers with his as they left the party in a car, a couple of hours later.
He shrugged. "We're saying yes to being ourselves. If it's okay with you. I'm just a bit... tired of being so over-careful when I'm around you in public." He looked at her. "Would this be okay with you?"
She nodded. "I don't think either of our PRs is going to be thrilled. But yeah. This back-and-forth is tiring. And confusing." She stared at their entwined hands. "After all, we're in this for the long haul."
He smiled, and laid a kiss on her forehead, wishing he hadn't left the ring all the way back in LA.
-----
Consequences did came the following morning, in the form of several missed calls by their respective PR agencies: as he expected, no big catastrophe had happened, the world was still spinning, and yes, they were all over the web, some even tracing a red circle around his hand on her belly, hinting at a pregnancy, rumor that was swiftly shot down by their reps, but he didn't care, not even a little bit, because finally he felt like he could breathe deep again.
They spent the morning lounging in their room, happy as if a big weight had been taken off their shoulders at last. That was, until Jayma's phone chirped, signalling an incoming email. From Adam.
It was just a picture of the previous night, one of those that had started the baby rumor. "Moving pretty fast, I see. You ruined my life."
She stared at the screen, dumbfounded, until Matt came over, and she just flipped the phone so he could read, suppressing a sob, and before she knew it he was hugging her tight, whispering soothing words, as she let herself fall apart, and he wondered yet another time if they were ready to take the next step, or better, if she was, and promising himself to go and face Adam first thing on Monday.
___________________________
Hope you enjoyed! :) I always love to read your thoughts and reviews, good or bad. :)
Thank you so much to Becca and Pauline for your help.