grintson → requested by happy tears anon
Emma should have known something was up when a deafening uproar from the crowd drowned out her answer to the interviewer's question.
She probably should have figured it was Rupert who was the cause of the frenzy when both she and the reporter craned their necks to see who it was.
The one thing she didn't expect was to see her initials emblazoned on his shirt preceded by a pretty bold declaration. Her cheeks immediately reddened with an uncontrollable bush when she saw "I ❤ EW" printed on his plain t-shirt. Any other time she might have just taken it as a funny joke, or a gesture of support and solidarity because she was a nominee tonight-- but in light of their conversation the night before about their decision to go public as a couple, the gesture was like a suckerpunch to her gut.
Of course he would go about it this way; he was Rupert after all. And yet nothing could have prepared her for the sight of everyone's reaction to it. She could see the news physically travel throughout the crowd in a wave as people whispered left and right to pass on the news of Rupert's shocking attire. Or rather, the shocking sentiment it brazenly announced.
The noise from the onlookers prevented her from really hearing anything, but she could hear the questions as if they were being yelled in a silent room.
Is it just a joke? What does it mean? Is he serious? Are they dating now? When did this happen? I knew it!
It took her a second to realize that this last was actually said out loud by the female reporter that she'd been unconsciously ignoring. Snapping her attention back to the task at hand, she was posed with the question of if she and him were now dating. She hesitated, and in that moment felt the compulsion to look over at him, a visceral reaction tearing through her when she realized he was staring at her too.
Unlike her, though, he seemed perfectly able to answer the questions his reporter was asking him. Becoming aware that she was being pinned with rampantly curious and expectant looks as well as their owners' accompanying camera lenses, she stood up straighter-- unwilling to become the person that wilted under intense scrutiny.
If they wanted a goddamn spectacle, she would give it to them.
Biting down on her lip, she made a show of giving Rupert a blatant once-over, letting her gaze linger suggestively. The flashes of thousands of cameras caught every nuance, and she turned back to the surprised but equally delighted smile of her interviewer. Answering her question, Emma raised her voice so that all of the surrounding reporters could hear her clearly.
"Let's just say I won't need any 'Best Kiss' trophy as an excuse to kiss him tonight."
The excited chattering and urgent follow-up questions rose to such a feverish pitch that she decided to make her exit then, turning back only to blow a kiss and throw a wink over her shoulder to an amused looking Rupert.
Needless to say, the cheers were louder than anything she'd ever heard before.