hidden sparks - malachi barton
malachi barton x fem!bsf!reader
requested: no.
warnings: this was written with three days of no sleep, running on multiple energy drinks!, mild smut, suggestive jokes/innuendo, (lots of) flirty teasing, mention of incest (i promise it sounds worse than it is!) very long chapter ahead (9600+ words), light swearing, and maybe more??
today was it. the day you'd been so nervous about. the thought keeping you up at most nights. and it finally arrived.
on one hand, so many girls would kill to even be able to hang out with malachi, and you felt lucky to have him. on the other hand, he was your best friend, and so to literally have to makeout with him? on camera? you knew you were in for a treat.
the cast already teased you guys nonstop about your closeness, insisting that you two are a couple.
and when they found out you'll not only kiss a few times throughout the movie, but also have to straight up makeout with him? yeah... couldn't wait to film that scene with the flirtiest person you know.
"hey, you okay? you're all zoned out." hailee steinfeld asked, sitting beside you in the green room.
malachi was currently filming a scene with the others, while you hung back, not needed right away.
"yeah. i'm okay, thanks." you smiled, grateful to have such caring people around you. they couldn't have picked a better cast.
"soo, whatcha thinkin bout then? the lil intimate moment later with malachiii?" she smirked, clearly teasing.
"ha ha." you laughed sarcastically. "but if i'm being honest? yeah. kinda. i just- i've never had that, y'know? this is the first movie where he has to kiss someone on screen." you explained. she instantly noticed the seriousness in your voice.
"yeah, but off screen, he's kissed a few girls already, and i'm sure he doesn't mind. after all, he's flirting with everyone that crosses his path. hell, he could flirt with a fucking lamppost if he wanted to." she chuckled, smiling at you.
"yeah, you're right." you giggled. "i still feel like... weird, y'know? i've also obviously kissed people, on and off screen, but never like this."
"if it makes you uncomfortable, i'm sure malachi would understand. he'd talk to the directors for you." she reassured.
"hailee... it's weird that it doesn't. i've never felt more comfortable with someone in my whole life. and that's what scares me. i feel like it's weird because i don't mind." you admitted quietly, though she heard you loud and clear.
"oh love, he makes it clear that he doesn't mind either. y'know... i chatted with his mom earlier."
"what'd she say?"
"that she's never seen him happier. you make him want to be better. she once saw you as the daughter she never had. now she sees you as the girl who makes her son light up everytime you walk in. the person who makes him feel the most at home. she sees you as more than just his best friend- whatever that means to the two of you." hailee explained, eyes filled with love. you're the little sister she never had. that's a different kind of bond. unique, even.
"i mean, that's what friends are for, right? we're only ever gonna be friends. it's always been like that." you chuckled, shrugging with a shy smile.
"whatever you say. mark my words, he likes you as more than a friend. everyone knows but you two." before you could deny it, she spoke again.
"besides. it won't be as weird as you think. you're not the one that has to be a literal cockblock and walk in on you two sticking your tongue down eachother's throats." she smirked.
"HAILEE! DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT! now i'm gonna- ugh." you scolded, almost admitting something.
"you're gonna- what? think about my words while you... makeout?" she whispered the last word teasingly.
you rolled your eyes at her. before you could say something though, a voice beat you to it.
"what words?" you both jumped, turning around to see just the boy you were talking about. great.
"omg, chi! don't just come in unannounced! i almost had a heart attack." you scolded as he walked in your direction, sitting beside you. out of everywhere. your thighs touched, arms brushing against eachother before he lifted his arm, and slung it around your shoulder. preventing you from moving.
you grabbed the water bottle from the table the best you could, only resulting in you accidentally moving closer to him- if that was even possible with the way he was pressed against you.
"you two are impossible." caleb walked in, sitting down on the other couch.
you just rolled your eyes, taking a few sips of your water before offering some to malachi, which he gladly took.
everyone else stepped into the room, taking a seat on either the couch or a chair nearby.
no one noticed the unusual thing malachi did.
no one, but maya hawke.
her eyes narrowed as she watched the boy take sips of your water and give it back to you.
normally, when it was anyone else, he'd do a waterfall. but with you? never.
for some unknown reason.
she kept quiet though, making a mental note to talk to you about it soon, and moved on to a conversation that was happening around her.
you finally relaxed, leaning into him, head on his shoulder as he pressed his cheek against the top of your head, sighing and closing his eyes, clearly loving it.
the day moved on with you two messing around set, joking and laughing while his flirts became more and more bold, intense as ever.
when it was time to rehearse the scene before filming, everyone gathered, watching everything happen as the director explained what you had to do.
"okay. malachi, i want your hands on her waist. when i say 'action' you guys kiss. your hands stay on his chest. and after a few seconds, i want you- malachi- to push her against the wall. got it?" he explained, waiting to see if the latter understood.
the boy just nodded, waiting for further instructions, a smirk placed on his face.
"okay, we're gonna run it through now. any questions?" when he didn't get an answer, he clapped his hands together and moved on. "then let's do this, shall we?" he went to sit down, waiting for malachi to be in position before starting.
"aaand... action!"
as soon as the words left his mouth, malachi leaned in and kissed you, his hands-like instructed- on your waist, while yours were on his chest.
he then -very gently- pushed you against the wall a few steps behind you, hands firmly staying on your hips, just like yours stayed on his chest, standing all stiff.
"CUT! uhm, guys? you need to loosen up, this is supposed to be romantic and intense, not awkward and boring." he commented as you pulled away from the kiss to look at him.
"the push was way too gentle for someone who's about to makeout. i don't think i have to explain to you how making out works." he continued to criticize.
"no, we're okay." you replied, following malachi to the middle of the room to stand on your marks again.
"then act like it. don't be yourselves, be lucy and eli... feel their emotions." the director sternly said, the others having to stifle a laugh at his exaggarated movements.
"got it!" malachi said, making the director once again yell 'action' after a few seconds.
"and, action!"
leaning in for another kiss, he pinned you against the wall, still being way too gentle about it, but the director decided to wait and see the rest of the take.
he was about to deepen the kiss, completely forgetting to say his line.
you smirked, fighting off the laugh that was threatening to escape.
"CUT!"
you sighed, both of your heads turning towards the director.
"barton! you were supposed to say your line!" his eyes widened in realization.
"rightt! i knew i forgot something!" you chuckled, returning back to your marks.
"ready? and, ACTION!"
you walked backwards, stopping when you hit the wall, kissing malachi back, moving in sync.
the director yelled once more, seconds after mal was supposed to say his line.
"CUT!"
"fuck!" his forehead leaned against yours, cursing at himself, eyes closed in annoyance.
"sorry! i don't know what's going on with me today..." he sighed, shaking his head with a chuckle.
"it's okay, chi. happens to everyone." you assure him, taking your places once more.
"and, ACTION."
the barton boy once again connected his lips with yours, pushing you against the wall a little less gentler.
you could feel the way he smiled against your mouth, but before the kiss could deepen, you tapped his neck, initiating for him to say his line.
you both said your lines, continuing to kiss, but the director's voice made you pull away.
"CUT! that was good, guys!"
"listen... we forgot the lights, but do it exactly like this. don't stop kissing until hailee comes in, alright? lights please!" he said, clapping his hands together again, sitting down as everyone went in position.
"aaand... ACTION!"
malachi closed the gap, lips moving against one another naturally.
he pushed you against the wall much rougher than before, eyes closed as his hands roamed all over your body.
the room was dark, only lit up by the moonlight outside the set window, red LED's making the kiss feel even more intense.
"you drive me crazy..." he said between kisses.
"prove it, baby." you delivered your line perfectly.
your cold hands wandered from his chest, to his neck, and then trailed down again, slipping under his shirt as his stomach fluttered under your touch, letting out a noise that sounded like a whimper, tongue licking your bottom lip, asking for entry, and you granted it.
malachi just slightly grinded against you, unconsciously, not even noticed by him or anyone else.
anyone else, but you.
and hailee.
you didn't say anything to him about it though, not wanting him to feel embarassed or uncomfortable, even.
and besides, you'd never admit it out loud... but it was kinda hot...
your fingers traced his abs, his shirt having ridden up.
that was not in the script.
but it felt too good to stop now.
you both pulled away for a second, needing air, before malachi once again leaned in, lips teasing yours, moving just enough to make you catch your breath, daring you to pull him closer.
and you did, letting one hand slip out from beneath his shirt, fingers gripping his neck as the kiss deepened, full of lust and pent-up emotions.
before he could get any bolder and grind against you more obviously, there was a quick knock on the fake door and hailee barged in, already in character as maren.
which you were thankful for, considering that your mom and his parents were watching, making it embarassing enough as it is, they don't need to see their son grinding while making out with you-his literal best friend- just for this movie.
"i found- oh." she said, analyzing the situation before her.
you both pulled away, panting heavily, not moving away from each other, turning your heads toward the woman a few feet away next to you, her shocked expression making malachi smirk, having to contain himself from laughing.
in the script, it said that she had to act shocked, but she wasn't acting right now.
she just saw him grind on you- who she thought of as her little sister- while making out. and he didn't even notice. neither did the others. only you two did.
he buried his face in your neck, cheeks heating as maren continued.
you just tried not to laugh, knowing he was also holding it in, which is why he improvised, and you thanked god the camera was only recording from the side, which meant your smile couldn't be seen on screen.
"you guys are gross. we leave you alone for two minutes, and you're making out already?" hailee tried her best not to laugh and mess up the take.
"we weren't-" she interrupted you, not wanting to hear what you had to say. the camera captured malachi still hiding against your neck, while neither of your hands moved. you were holding his neck, thumb scratching just enough to not be seen on screen, but enough to warn him not to make a sound.
he tried to focus on something else, figuring he wouldn't have to laugh if distracted, so he started kissing your neck, nibbling and biting your skin to muffle his chuckles.
but also to tease you. he's always loved messing with you during scenes.
your heart raced, thoughts filled with things you'd never admit out loud. nobody knew what he was doing, except you.
they saw him hide his face, and knew he was holding in his laugh.
but you were the one who felt him kiss and suck on your neck with that boyish grin of his, trying to stay composed.
"i don't wanna hear your excuses, lucy. now c'mon. i found something." maren stated, walking away with a scoff, muttering words of disgust to herself.
malachi picked up his head, smirk visible.
"well, that was fun." he said, faces still close.
"fun? eli... that was embarassing." you replied, fighting with yourself not to look down at his lips again. that wasn't like your character.
he, on the other hand, just shrugged, shamelessly eyeing your lips.
he then leaned down, connecting his lips with yours once more.
that wasn't in the script.
it said you have to follow maren out the door.
but you played along, lips moving slowly against his, the complete opposite of the fast, hungry kisses a minute ago.
when you pulled away after a few seconds, he chased your lips unconsciously, still breathless from the makeout prior.
"babe..." he panted quietly.
also not in the script.
"let's go. they're waiting." you said, waiting for him to pull away before taking his hand, fingers interwining as you walked out the door, the light from the hallway shined into the room, and when you were halfway out the door, the little wet spot on your neck was red-yellowish, though neither of you noticed in the dark.
"CUT!" the director yelled the second you were out the fake door.
you both let out a sigh of relief, and as soon as your eyes met, you bursted out laughing.
"you're lucky you didn't laugh. i would've been so mad if that was all for nothing." you said between giggles, playfully hitting his shoulder, coming to a halt in front of everyone.
he quickly grabbed your hips, pulling you into him despite his laughs, making you yelp, your face buried in his neck as you hugged.
when the laughter died down, he sighed, smirking as an idea came to his mind.
"tickle monsterr." malachi said teasingly, starting to tickle your sides.
he hasn't done that in so long.
you both used to do that as kids and young teens, but stopped one random day and haven't thought about it since.
until now.
"no. stoppp." you giggled, squirming in his hold as you pulled away, holding his hands to prevent him from tickling you further.
the director confirmed what you, malachi and hailee hoped.
"and that's a wrap on another kiss scene!"
"the improv was great, guys! couldn't have gone better." he praised, moving on to talk to some crew member.
you now had a quick break, so you went to the green room, slumping down on the couch with a huff.
"that was something." malachi plopped down next to you, sipping on some water he got off the snack table.
"yeah." the cast came in, smirking like they had something planned.
malachi handed you the water, watching you sip.
"soo... you guys thirsty after all that kissing, huh?" caleb spoke up first, grinning like an idiot as he watched you two, everyone else hiding their laughs.
malachi turned to him, confused.
"yeah? that's normal. you make it seem like you've never been thirsty after a makeout before." he tilted his head, not knowing where this was going.
"you sure you're not thirsty for something else?"
you almost spat out your water, but choked on it instead.
the boy's jaw only dropped, turning to help you by patting your back.
hailee snorted as everyone laughed in shock.
"you– did not... just say that." you said in between coughs.
malachi on the other hand, was speechless.
the only thing he could do was pat your back, completely flustered.
when you stopped coughing, he smiled shyly, as if he didn't literally just makeout with you on camera a few minutes ago.
"you good?" he asked, chuckling quietly.
"yeah. thanks." you replied, seeing him try to hold in his laugh.
you huffed, giggling, hiding your face in your hands in embarassment.
after many jokes and a lot of teasing, everyone engaged in their own conversations, talking with one another.
the good thing is, they didn't see the bruise that was starting to form on your neck.
your hair was on your shoulder, unknowingly hiding it very well.
until malachi's hand went from drawing shapes on your shoulder with his finger, to playing with your hair. all while listening to caleb tell a story.
"NO WAY! IS THAT FROM MALACHI EARLIER?!" hailee yelled, and you turned to look at her in confusion.
"what?" you and malachi asked in unison.
she just pointed to the bruise, eyes widening in shock with a teasing smirk.
the cast all turned to look at your neck, equally as shocked as hailee.
"what?" you repeated, grabbing your phone and opening the camera app when no one answered.
as soon as you saw it, malachi's lips parted, only now seeing it due to the camera pointing towards the bruise, his hand stilling in your hair.
"oh shit." the boy let out.
"when the fuck did that happen?" caleb once again was the first to speak.
"you see... it's not- well... it's...ugh." you tried, sighing as you gave up, looking at malachi for help.
"don't look at me!" he said, shrugging.
"what do you mean? you did this!"
"i was trying not to laugh!" he defended, chuckling after.
"by giving her a hickey?" hailee asked, grinning.
that shut you two up, lips forming into a thin line as he chuckled.
"i mean, i didn't do it on purpose! but like i said, it prevented me from laughing. so, in a way... you should be thanking me for not having to re-take the scene again." he shrugged, turning to you, hands raised defensively.
"thank you?!" you asked, annoyed.
"you're welcome." malachi smirked, loving the reaction he was getting out of you.
"you're so annoying." you groaned, not even gonna try talking to him further about this.
"and you love me."
"pfft. in your dreams, barton."
"that's right. you are in fact, in my dreams." you turned to him, shocked.
you hit him on the chest, but before you could say anything back, a crew member– john– popped his head in.
"guys? we need you two again." he looked at you and malachi.
"for what?"
"yeah, i thought we had a break."
"you did, but there was a mistake with the plans. you have another kissing scene in five minutes." he told you, leaning against the doorframe patiently.
"mistake with the plans?" malachi repeated.
"another kissing scene? ugh." you groaned, head thrown back in exhaustion.
"c'mon superstar. let's go." he stood up, extending his hand.
you took his hand with a sigh, standing up. "i don't wanna." your hand was still in his, but before you could register his hand leaving yours, he bent a little and suddenly slung his arms around your waist, standing up straight with you over his shoulder.
"malachi! what are you-" you held yourself up with your hands on his lower back, gripping it tightly, nails scratching his skin through his thin shirt.
the others were filming the whole situation, finding this very funny.
you didn't though.
"if you don't wanna walk to set, then i'm gonna have to carry you and make you kiss me again."
"even if you don't... i don't really have a choice in this. put me down."
"nope. i'm good." he gripped your thighs just a little tighter to not risk you falling as you squirmed, though it was no use. he was too strong.
you threatened him, hearing everyone laugh at that.
"relax, babe! i'll let you down soon." he assured, despite his words having no actual intention of letting go anytime soon.
you just sighed, finally slumping down and giving up.
"now, where's your phone?" he asked, turning around in all directions and walking all over the room searching for it.
"on the couch." he grabbed the phone, holding it out for you to take behind his back.
you took it, trying to somehow put it in the back pocket of your jeans.
when you finally felt it sit still, you relaxed again.
"i thought you were gonna hold it?"
"i'm scared it's gonna fall."
"it's gonna fall either way if it's in your- ...here." he held onto your thighs with his one hand while the other grabbed your phone. out of your back pocket.
you felt it being taken out, not knowing what he wanted to do.
but he just put it in his front pocket instead, finally walking out of the room, following the crew member that was patiently waiting by the door.
everyone he walked past just watched in amusement, clearly enjoying the show.
your phone began to ring, which caused him to pull it out and hand it over to you, still upside down over his shoulder.
"hello?" you didn't even see who it was before picking up, and neither did malachi, too focused on trying to find out where to go.
"heyyy! what are you doingg?" the voice rang out, so faint that you had to pull away and look at the contact name.
'goldhunter👸🤞🏼' you read, making you realize who it was, turning up the volume a bit.
"freya. hey. uhm, i'm kinda about to go on set again."
"again? i thought you had a break?"
"yeah, we thought that too. but the plans had a mistake so now me and malachi have to film another scene together. everyone else has a break already."
"ohh. wait, just you two?"
"yeah. look, i'll call you back soon, okay?"
"alright. have fun. don't do anything i wouldn't do." she teased.
"ha-ha. bye freya."
"byee." you hung up.
"malachi. where the hell are you going?"
"honestly? i have no idea. i lost sight of john." he mentioned the crew member who originally guided you to the set.
"are you serious?" you didn't tell him you were recording, capturing your annoyed look, hair still somehow looking fabulous as ever even while upside down.
"yeah. oh, wait, i found him." he turned, walking towards the said man.
you just sighed, talking to the camera.
"anyways, hey guys! as you can see, i'm getting kidnapped right now, for some reason." you lifted the camera to show the back of malachi's head.
"it's not kidnapping. i'm just... borrowing your existence for a scene."
"borrowing my existence? that's what you came up with? out of everything you could've said, you chose that?"
"yeah. you're not getting naseous, are you?"
"no." you said, sighing.
"good."
"wait, if i'd said yes, would you have put me down?"
"most likely."
"then yes."
"too late."
"it's too late to apologizee-" you sang, completely unbothered.
just then, you arrived. malachi's mother was there again, just like she was for the makeout scene, which was very embarassing... but hey, it's work!
"malachi. what are you doing? let this poor girl down." she said, chuckling at your chilled state, continuing to sing the song 'apologize' by justin timberlake.
"i will... in a second." he reassured her, still not letting go.
"see? even your mom is on my side. do you know what that means?"
"yeah. absolutely nothing?"
"no! it means i'm just better. i'm the favorite, of course."
"you're not even her real daughter?"
"exactly. which means i'm her favorite daughter." you smirked into the camera, showing felicia, who just shook her head.
"ew. don't say that. hypothetically, that means i just made out with my sister on camera. and am about to film yet another kiss scene with her. that's disgusting. so... i don't see you as a sister." he pulled a disgusted face, looking at his mother for her opinion.
"malachi! that's so weird! don't say that! now i'm disgusted. i have to cut this all out now." you hit his back, causing him to smirk.
"did you just call her disgusting?" felicia asked, arms crossed.
"what? no! i meant that if she would really be my sibling... it means i kissed my sister? that's nasty." his smile dropped fast, trying to explain to his mother what he really meant.
"yeah. that's gross. why are you even talking about this?"
"cause. i said i'm your favorite and he said i'm not even your daughter. i caught it on camera! and when i said i'm still your favorite daughter he started talking about this incest stuff. so basically, he's the weird one."
"if i'm so weird, why do you still talk to me? none the less kiss me?"
"that's unfair. you know i have to for the movie. and i'm only talking to you because of your mom." you smirked, tracing his back muscles.
"mhm. yeah. you would love to just kiss me whenever."
"pfft, in your dreams barton."
"i already told you once, you are in fact appearing in my dreams like you belong there. which you kind of do by now."
"you're so annoying."
"you love me."
"don't count on it."
"you two, are impossible." felicia chuckled, walking off to get some snacks.
"okay, may our two lovebirds take their places, please!" the director calls out, causing you to roll your eyes, ending the video as malachi smirks.
"yessir." he says, taking you towards your marks.
"wait, what scene are we doing again?" he asks as soon as he put you down.
"scene 37." the director answers.
malachi- confused as ever- doesn't respond, looking at you to elaborate.
you just fix your shirt, running a hand through your hair, not noticing his stare.
you finally look up, catching him staring, not even trying to hide it by looking away.
"what?" you tilt your head, smiling.
"nothing. i just asked what scene we were doing." he did the triangle method, not even noticing that he did.
but neither did you, too focused on staying still so the makeup team can fix your appearance, while some other one's worked on the barton boy.
"oh, we're doing scene 37, i think?" malachi looks at you in confusion.
"i know that much. but i need an explanation, maybe?" he glanced at your lips, seeing the woman take out a lipliner and use it on you.
"...the one where we kiss again in the hallway." you elaborated after she was done lining your lips, grabbing some lipgloss to finish the look.
malachi's hair was being fixed while you two chatted.
"oh, alright." they finished a few minutes after, and you went to the other marks you were supposed to start walking down the hall from, holding hands like instructed.
"okay, let's do this, people! in one take, if possible!" the director just jinxed it. like always.
"and... action!"
you two began walking, already in character as eli and lucy.
just before your marks, you stopped, with him turning to you.
"lucy? what's wrong?" eli asked.
"nothing..." you leaned in, pecking his lips really quickly.
he smiled, hands going around your waist again.
"what was that for?" you just shrugged, not giving him an answer and pecking his lips again.
"am i not allowed to kiss you now?"
"you are."
"then stop complaining." another peck.
but before you could pull away enough to look into his eyes once more, he closed the gap, giving you a real kiss.
he then pushed you against the hallway wall- just like before in the other room- hitting your marks perfectly.
"eli..." you whispered between kisses, hand moving from his biceps to his shoulders.
the boy just hummed, not once stopping.
"we... we need to- get to... the others." he didn't let you speak properly, too into it to pause.
then silence.
you tried so hard not to laugh, but after half a minute of just kissing, you burst out laughing the second you registered what malachi said.
"i... forgot my line." he muttered between kisses, pulling away and smiling once he heard your laugh.
"CUT!" the director yelled.
"barton! what happened? cat got your tongue?"
"no, lucy did." he smirked.
you only hit his chest as he continued.
"joking! i forgot my line. again. what was i supposed to say?" the boy looked around, not sure how the scene was supposed to go.
his mom handed a crew member the script, who gave it to him, allowing him to read the scene again.
the makeup artist was fixing your lipcombo once more.
"wait... let me see it aswell." you said, tugging him closer by his bicep, looking down at the paper full of words.
"okay, got it." he gave it back after a minute, walking back to the first mark.
"chi..."
"yeah?" he turned to look at you.
"you have lipgloss on your lips." you snorted, watching him try to wipe it away with his thumb.
"can someone hand me a tissue, please?" you called out, thanking the crew member that gave it to you before grabbing malachi's face with your non-dominant hand, wiping his lips with the other.
he just let you do your thing, looking down at you in silence.
"why are you looking at me like that?" you tilt your head, glancing up at his eyes.
"like what?" he asks, smirking.
"like that, malachi." you say, continuing to wipe away the lipgloss on his lips, biting your lip in focus while doing so.
"i don't know what you're talking about." he shrugged, trying not to move his mouth too much.
"whatever. i'm done." you let go of his face, blinking up at him before walking away to throw it in the trash, hitting your mark beside him after.
the director yelled action.
the scene was done the same. he remembered his lines, kissed you again and walked out of frame. it was the perfect shot... but when the director yelled cut, someone groaned, cussing out loud.
"what?" someone from the crew asked.
"i forgot to hit record!" the sound guy stated.
this of course meant you had to re-shoot the scene once more.
lucky you...
"alright, take three! ready? aaand, action!"
you stopped in the middle of the hallway again, pecking him three times and saying your lines just like before, but the way malachi was looking at you? it made you feel some type of way.
you weren't the type to get nervous around boys like this.
this was new.
but you two were acting. after all, he was a good actor. you could give him that.
he pushed you against the wall roughly, much more desperate than earlier when you had to makeout in lucy's bedroom.
the kiss was so intense you almost forgot your line this time.
"eli... we- have to- get to... get to the others." you tried to say between kisses.
"they can wait..."
"no- eli... not now. we gotta find the papers." you whispered, the mic just barely picking it up.
malachi groaned into the kiss, slowly pulling away, your bottom lip between his teeth.
he let it go, creating space between the two of you. "alright. you owe me a do-over, though."
"whatever you say, professor." he rolled his eyes, taking your hand and tugging you down the hall with him.
"CUT!" the director called out when you were out of the shot.
"that was perfect, guys! that's a wrap on scene 37!"
"thank god." you sighed, walking to the snack table to get a water.
it looks like malachi had the same idea, because as soon as you put down the water bottle, he picked it up and drank out of it.
there were so many other bottles, but for some reason, he always prefers yours.
you once asked him why he always does that, and he answered with 'it tastes better that way'.
to which you just shrugged, brushing it off.
he was weird like that, so you just let him do it. after all, it never really bothered you, you were just curious.
he sat down on the armchair, taking another sip before putting it away.
"move." you told him.
he only smirked, leaning back and manspreading, patting his thigh.
you just sighed, deciding that it's better than leaning against the side of the couch, so you just sat down on his lap sideways, curling up, head on his chest.
he put his arms around you, grabbing a nearby blanket and throwing it over you, considering that you had shorts on.
"my lips are starting to hurt again..." you huffed, pouting a little.
"yeah, mine too." he leaned his chin on your head, rubbing your arm soothingly.
"honestly? i'm not surprised." your mom said from the side, eating a chocolate bar.
"same. you teenagers have something that us adults don't. i could never kiss someone for that long." felicia shook her head, leaning against the wall.
"that's weird... i thought you and loren for sure would've been like this many years ago... i mean... isn't that how malachi got made?" all three of their eyes widen, the said boy put a hand over your mouth, stopping you from talking any more.
"BABE!" he complained, holding your mouth shut a little harder when he felt you open your mouth to talk.
"that's so weird! how can you say that to my MOM?! in front of me, may i add?!" he continued, acting dramatic once again.
you just rolled your eyes, hearing felicia talk.
"she's not wrong, though. but that was more than a decade ago. not doing that today anymore." she said, unbothered.
you licked his hand, wanting to reply.
"EW!" he instantly pulled away.
mission completed successfully.
"what do you mean, 'ew'? we share more spit filming this movie than in real life." you turned to face him.
"still. normally it's just when we're drinking out of the same bottle." he shrugged, continuing to draw random shapes on your arm again.
"anyway. what did i wanna say again? oh. right!" you remembered.
"did you ever think, that both our moms literally watched us- not just kiss- but full on makeout? just for this movie." malachi stayed silent, completely speechless.
"oh shit. i never thought of that." he finally said.
"AND your dad, too." you added, making his eyes widen.
"fuck... well now i'm embarassed. why did you have to come to set today, out of all days, mom?!" he blushed, complaining to his mother.
"today was the first day we actually had time, malachi."
"yeah, i know... apparently luck just isn't on my side today." he sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"it's okay. there's nothing we can do now. they've already seen the worst."
"at least i've got you on my side, though." he added to his previous statement, smirking.
"the worst? nah, that would've been if we caught you two-" your mom snorted.
"OKAYYY! maybe we take it down a notch. my son is embarassed enough as it is. we do not need to make it worse, thank you." felicia interrupted her, grabbing her shoulders and walking away.
"oh, come on! he's your only son! it's kinda your job to embarass him..." you heard as they walked out of earshot, only seeing them laugh and search for his father.
"that was something." he then spoke up.
"you said the exact same thing earlier in the break room." you pointed out.
"oh, right." he picked up his head, leaning back more so he's comfortable.
"...how about a quick power nap? i'll text my dad to wake us in time for the next scene." he suggested, yawning after.
"yeah. that sounds great." you said sleepily, yawning, eyes already closed.
malachi pulled out his phone, texting his father to wake them up later. he then grabbed your hips and legs, pulling you up more, so you sat on his lap more comfortably, your head now resting on his collarbone.
he sighed, pulling the blanket over him before resting his cheek against your forehead and hairline, giving it a quick kiss and going back in position, eyes closed and drifting off to dreamland.
later, when his dad finally found them sleeping close together, a crew member-john again- was there before him, taking a picture and sending it to the whole groupchat.
he also posted the picture on instagram, knowing it will blow up instantly.
loren didn't know that though, due to john already being gone when he arrived.
in the picture, you could see your lips shining from the leftover lipgloss.
malachi's lips? they had the other half of lipgloss on them, aswell as some smudged lipliner.
you two looked so exhausted, but so cozy, you'd think this was a normal occurence.
and to be honest, it was, this position was just new. otherwise, the cast has a whole collection full of pictures of you two cuddling somewhere, fully asleep.
"guys? c'mon, wake up. you need to get ready for the next scene." loren took a picture before waking you up, sending it to his wife.
"hmm?" you woke up first, eyes opening just slightly, the light just a bit too bright.
"hey... wake him up, will you? i do need to get felicia." he said, walking away after hearing your hum of agreement.
"chi..." your hand was on his chest, playing with his chain.
he didn't budge, and you couldn't really sit up due to his head preventing yours from moving, his one arm slung around your waist, hand hovering over your stomach, while the other was resting on your thigh under the blanket.
"malachi. wake up." he stirred awake, feeling you place a small kiss on his neck.
"five more minutes..." his hold on you tightened, raspy voice thick with sleep.
"we gotta get ready, sleeping beauty."
"you're the real beauty over here." he smirked, glancing at you with one open eye.
"c'mon. the director is gonna yell at us like last time if we're late, again." he just groaned, arms tightening around you once more.
he eventually let go after a few minutes, needing to 'officially wake up' while cuddling.
even though you acted annoyed, you did like his clingy side. more than you should actually. he'll never need to know that though.
later, in the evening, you just finished up the last scene with everyone, all going their seperate ways into their trailers, when someone knocked on yours not too long after.
confused, you open the door.
"hi? what's up?" you asked, looking hailee in the eyes.
you all planned to have a sleepover tonight, but that wasn't until later tonight.
"we need to talk before everyone gets here." she walked past you, holding all kinds of snacks and a few blankets in her arms.
"that's... never a good start to a conversation." you closed the door, locking it again and joining her on the floor, leaning against the bed.
"the girls are on their way already, don't worry." she informed you, and just then, there was another knock on the door, causing her to jump up and squeal, running to open the door.
"hey guys! come in, come in." hailee let the two inside, with them joining you on the floor. their arms were also filled with snacks.
"do you guys want to have diabetes?" you say, watching them line up the desserts in the middle of the circle, four blankets covering you all.
"don't be dramatic. we're obviously not gonna eat everything at once. we're not animals." ella purnell shrugged, connecting her phone to the speaker hailee brought.
"alright. what did you wanna talk about that the boys can't hear?"
"and before you say anything, i want to make it clear that the walls here are pretty thin. i recently found out that malachi over there, can hear us if we're speaking a bit louder." you warn them, pointing behind you as if to say the boy is over there, which he was. well, his trailer at least.
"right. then let's start, shall we?" maya hawke chuckled, moving along to the music in the background.
"alright. because you mentioned it..." ella grinned, letting maya continue. "speaking of malachi."
you groaned, already knowing where this was headed. "seriously? again?"
"yes, again. when were you gonna tell us your song blur is about him?"
"no it's not!"
"you spelled his name in the chorus! and hid every initial with the first letter of the words!"
and of course, because the universe thought it would be funny, 'blur' started playing from the speakers, your voice filling the room.
"the song is about him?!"
"I KNEW IT!"
"guys, no it's not. you're being delusional. we're just friends."
"you're literally acting like adrien agreste from miraculous. you're made for eachother, but apparently, malachi is marinette in this one." maya laughed, which made the other two girls join in, continuing to make jokes like that.
ella grabbed a paper and a pen, writing down the lyrics to your song, gasping when she circled every first letter.
"guys? hailee, you were right. it does spell his name! i never noticed. that's so cute!"
"she's the shakespeare of hiding hints in song lyrics." maya gaped at the sight if the paper, seeing his name clearly spelled out.
the chorus:
Maybe it’s just the way you look at me,
A little spark that no one else can see,
Late in the dark, your name’s in my head,
All that i want are the words left unsaid,
Can’t tell if i’m dreamin or losing my mind,
Holding it in, but you’re all i can find,
I keep it quiet… this feeling inside.
"told ya. and it's catchy too." hailee put on your most recent song, it being blur, of course.
you just blushed, speechless as they squealed, excited cause they cracked the code. the three girls started talking about the other lyrics, everything making sense now that they know.
"OMG WAIT! i totally forgot!!! what the hell was that today?" hailee smirked, topic changing.
"today? nothing happened today!..." you insisted, stopping yourself from denying anything else to think for a second.
"...what happened today?" the question made all three of them look at each other, amused.
"okay. look, you two haven't noticed, but..." hailee turned to the other two girls in the room.
"y'know when her and malachi had to makeout today?" your eyes widen, a gasp escaping you before you could stop yourself.
"don't say it. please don't say it." you pulled your knees to your chest, whispering to yourself as you rocked back and forth, cheeks heating up at the mention.
"yeah?"
"what happened?"
"i can't do this. please." you basically begged the steinfeld girl to let it go, but it was no use.
"they have to know!" she said, finally telling them what she meant.
the camera hailee set up a few feet away to capture everyone's reaction was recording.
the two girls leaned in, listening closely as the steinfeld girl whispered it.
"you know when they were making out? before i walked in lucy's bedroom, he fucking grinded on her. i kid you not, i've never seen anyone that desperate for someone in my life." the gasps that the two girls let out were so loud, if someone were to walk by they'd think someone just got murdered.
ella and maya turned to you, surprised as ever.
your lips formed into a thin line, feeling their gazes on you, but not yet looking at them, blushing madly.
"it's not that big of a deal."
"girl, what do you mean? that's a huge deal."
"did he talk to you about this after? or does he not know that you know?"
"he... didn't even notice that he did it."
their jaws dropped, while hailee just smirked, nodding proudly. "do you see the problem now? i wanted to talk to you about this as soon as we were done, but you were with him the whole day. and i didn't wanna say anything in front of him, cause obviously he doesn't know." she turned to you.
"wait... i also know something." maya said, causing you three to look at her, waiting to hear what she has to say. "you know how malachi always drinks out of your water bottles?"
you nod, "yeah. but when i asked him why, he said that it just tastes better that way, so i just let it go. he's always been weird, as long as he stays hydrated, i'm happy." you shrug, not knowing the point she was trying to make.
"no, not that. i saw that whenever he shares a drink with someone, he does a waterfall, right?"
"yeah, and?"
"he doesn't do that with you."
"yeah, because- ...wait huh?" you interrupted yourself, thinking about her words.
"oh my gosh. i didn't even realize-... what the heck? i never noticed that. you could be a detective with the way you pay close attention to details, y'know that?" you tried to divert the attention to her.
"thanks, but i kinda already have a job." maya says sarcastically.
"oh really? i never knew that. what do you do for a living?" you matched her energy.
"make fun of you and interfere with your love life, obviously."
"...not funny." you deadpan, smiling despite yourself.
"anyway, do you ever plan on actually telling him?" ella asked
"tell him what?"
"that you like him?!" maya said in a 'duh' tone.
"what? that's bullshit. i don't like him! not like that, at least."
"yes you do! and he likes you too!"
"no, he doesn't! we're friends."
"he literally calls you babe."
"maybe because he's just joking? we date in the movie, not in real life. that's just his way of annoying me."
"you literally wrote a song about him!" hailee brought it up again.
"no i didn't! i never confirmed it was about malachi!"
just then, a knock interrupted you guys, but that didn't stop her from talking, so you just rolled your eyes, finally finding a way to get out of that conversation.
"i'll get it." you stood up, walking to the door, but still hearing them talk.
"you don't need to confirm anything. the evidence is literally right here."
"-and not to mention on your face when you look at him."
"i don't look at him any different than i look at you guys!" you sighed, trying to defend yourself.
"LIAR!"
"we're just friends!"
"friends who makeout."
"FOR THE MOVIEE!" you chuckle despite yourself.
"nah, i'm about to start calling you adrien and malachi, marinette."
"hailee... don't you dare." you opened the door, only to find the three boys waiting by the door, already in pajamas.
"oh i will."
"even better, mike and eleven from season three..."
"maya! oh my gosh that's actually accurate HA!"
"oh, hey guys! c'mon in." you said extra loud, warning the girls that they would enter your trailer, stepping aside to let them enter, giving everyone a hug as they passed you. malachi of course being the first.
the boys only heard the stranger things reference, everything before that muffled due to the door.
walking back to the others after closing the trailer door, you found everyone in a much bigger circle now, while the girls just smirked, the only free spot left was beside malachi. of course they were all in on it.
"so, what were you girls doing before we came?" dylan asked, causing the three girls to smirk and immediately divert their gazes to you.
your cheeks heated under everyone's eyes, hiding your face in your hands, head hung low in embarassment.
"woah. what... was that?" malachi asked, all the guys confused as hell.
"nothing!" you say, looking up to see the girls wiggling their eyebrows.
your eyes widen when you looked in the middle of the circle.
right there, laying on the snacks, was the paper ella used to 'uncover the secret codes' of your song, with malachi's name indeed spelled out on it.
hailee noticed your shift, and snatched the paper away, crumbling it together and throwing it, aiming for the trash, which she surprisingly hit.
"you guys are acting so weird." caleb then spoke.
"nah. we were just having fun. and now that you're finally here, we can have even more fun." maya covered, grabbing a snack and waiting for ella to pull out the games.
"pfft. yeah, fun..." you mutter under your breath, luckily no one heard.
"what should we start with?" the latter asked, all kinds of games now next to the snacks.
and with that, the evening went on, many different games played, the last game being uno, of course.
but because the normal one was kinda boring, you all decided that uno extreme was way more interesting, and so it began.
(the circle order you're sitting in going from you, to the right: you, hailee, maya, caleb, dylan, ella, malachi.)
(you're in the middle of malachi on your left, hailee to your right if that makes it clearer. on hailee's right, is maya. on her right, caleb. on his right, dylan, on his right, ella. on her right, malachi. on his right, you.)
(i really don't know how else to explain it guys😭)
"guys, if i see one of you cheat again, i'm gonna fucking lose it." caleb warned, holding his 18 cards, 11 of which he had to draw, close to his chest.
"i'm looking at you, malachi." he added, eyes narrowing at the boy.
everyone started agreeing, all saying something about him cheating, it being annoying and all that type of stuff.
"why are you all turning against me?" he raised his hands in disbelief.
you tilted your head, being the only one who didn't say anything about him.
"well, everyone except my girl here." he saw your expression and quickly corrected himself.
"oh, your girl, huh?"
"that sounds about right."
"whipped."
the others teased with a grin, secretly rooting for you two.
"just because i didn't say anything, doesn't mean i don't agree with them, barton." you told him, watching him pull back his arm from around your shoulder, acting hurt.
"wow, the betrayal. here i thought we were a team." he put a hand on his chest, smirk escaping despite his act.
"in uno? never. there are no teams in this game. only rivalry." you shrugged, snorting when ella placed a +10 in the middle, to which dylan also added another ten caleb would have to draw.
"no way. i ain't taking allat. double it and give it to the next person." caleb placed another +10 in the middle, maya now having to draw 30.
she then added +2, hailee having to draw all these cards now.
"hailee. don't do this." you said after quickly checking your cards as soon as caleb laid down the card.
"girl, you said it yourself. there are no teams in this, only rivarly. i'm not drawing like thirty cards." with that, steinfeld placed a +4 in the middle.
you sighed, laughing through the pain.
"how many cards is that?" dylan asked, to which caleb reached forward, counting 36.
"imma place them out for ya." he said, grabbing the deck and loudly counting 36 cards, a whole new stack now in front of you.
"caleb, can you do me a favor, and add four more?"
"why?"
"just go ahead..."
"that's a dumb- okay...?" he did what you asked for, 40 cards now in front of you.
everyone has been joking about the amounf of cards you'd have while caleb had counted them minutes prior, so you had to make it more dramatic.
"hey... wouldn't it be funny if i had another +4?" you asked, shrugging nonchalantly.
by now, dylan was recording everything, the situation being too funny for him.
"babe... you really don't wanna do this." malachi said, glancing at the cards on the small round desk you placed in the middle to make it easier to play.
"i promise you, you do not, want to do this."
they all started saying things, stuff like 'you don't have another one' and 'do it if you're for real.'
"nah, she's bluffing. you're just bluffing..." barton said, laughing.
"am i?" you questioned, adding onto the tension.
"you're not forreal. no way."
you then picked up the card out of all the others, sticking it to your forehead, now in everyone's view.
"isn't that something?!" you said, repeating yourself again and again while everyone laughed, malachi dramatically complaining while you turned to the camera seriously.
"no, no, no, no, no. why. why?" he said, continuing to laugh nervously, adding onto the dramatics even more as the others laughed.
you slid the cards in front of him, laying your plus four in the middle, watching as he grabbed one of his cards he held in his hand.
"...lemme just see, if mine sticks to my forehead..." he then also smacked a +4 against his forehead, the card staying in place.
everyone gasped, laughing in shock, ella's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"no way!"
"he did not just do this."
"now, i begged you not to do this, because i know you love ella... but you gave me no choice here." he added.
you giggled, amused by this whole interaction.
"ella... please tell me you have one..." hailee chuckled, feeling sorry for the girl.
she just shook her head no in dissapointment, speechless.
you all bursted out laughing, joking like never before.
"she started this, only for it to backfire and get all the cards!"
the camera panned to the girl, who grabbed the deck, adding 8 more cards, now holding the 48 cards plus her 12 others that she held in her hand before.
dylan then ended the video and added it to his story.
he put down his phone, the story unknowingly blowing up within minutes of it being uploaded, fans reacting with emojis and saving the video, sharing it through multiple social media platforms, the fans talking about how funny it was, wishing they'd be able to just hangout with you all, and just like always, there were several comments about you and malachi sitting 'too close' to eachother as if it was unusual for you two.
it immediately became one of their favorite moments they saw from this cast, and couldn't wait to see even more.
the last card hit the pile, and everyone groaned, laughing at how ridiculous the game had gotten. the snacks were scattered everywhere, blankets were tangled around knees, and the trailer felt like chaos—but the best kind.
“alright, truce,” hailee declared, grabbing a bag of gummy bears and dumping it in the center. “we need sugar after surviving that insanity.”
malachi leaned back, smirking as he watched everyone scramble for the candy. “you all really went full savage on uno,” he said, voice low, amused.
“hey, we all agreed—rivalry only, no mercy,” caleb shot back, shoving another handful of candy into his mouth.
you reached for a chocolate bar, only to see malachi’s hand inch toward the same wrapper. your fingers brushed briefly, and he froze, blinking at you like he hadn’t expected it. you smirked, tugging the chocolate back.
“what?” you teased.
“nothing,” he muttered, voice softer than usual, quickly hiding a small, round tin he’d pulled from under the blanket.
“oh no… what’s that?” ella leaned in, curiosity piqued.
malachi’s cheeks turned slightly red, and he looked like he might disappear into the floor. “it’s… nothing.”
“c’mon, it’s literally us. what could possibly be nothing?” hailee pressed.
finally, with a reluctant sigh, he opened the tin just enough for everyone to see—tiny, colorful origami cranes, folded so perfectly they almost looked alive.
“wait… you made these?” maya asked, eyes wide.
malachi nodded, fidgeting. “yeah… it’s kind of… a thing i do. helps me focus. calm me down before… stressful days.”
the trailer went quiet for a moment. even dylan’s usual jokes stalled mid-laugh.
“that’s… actually really cool,” you said softly, watching him carefully place a crane back in the tin.
“yeah, who knew barton the chaos king had a tiny origami army in his trailer?” ella laughed, but it was lighthearted, not mocking.
malachi looked at you, a smirk creeping back onto his face. “don’t tell anyone. my reputation’s delicate.”
“your secret’s safe… for now,” you teased, tossing a blanket over your shoulders and glancing around at everyone.
the rest of the night was a mix of casual chatter, half-competitive card games, and quiet giggles when someone got tangled in blankets or accidentally knocked over snacks. but every now and then, malachi would glance at the little tin, his fingers brushing the origami just so, and you caught the smallest, unguarded smile on his face—one nobody else got to see.
it was subtle, almost invisible, but somehow it made the chaotic trailer feel… warm. like maybe, just maybe, this sleepover was exactly where it was supposed to be.
malachibartonsangel speaks!
had to add the little KLS2 (kevin langue show) uno moment at the end of the game...
anyway, i'll probably delete this later on, just cuz it didn't turn out the way i wanted it to :/
not proof read!!
thank you for reading, i hope you liked it!
have a good day/night<3
