An incredible chemistry read with Harry Collett landed you both roles on HBO, and three years later, your on screen romance became real life. @moonlightlexie
MATERIALIST
The holding area in the London audition studio felt less like a modern media hub and more like a high - stress pressure cooker, dozens of teenage actors were pacing back and forth, clutching heavily watermarked script pages, muttering their lines with rigid, overly dramatic British accents, everyone knew the stakes, this was HBOâs.
You had been sitting in a corner chair for nearly an hour, trying to steady your breathing, you were reading for a prominent original character, a fierce, fiercely loyal noble whose connection with Prince Jacaerys Velaryon was described in the casting notes as an intense, deeply mature slowburn born out of political isolation and shared grief, up until ten minutes ago, you had watched a procession of polished young guys walk past, looking terrifyingly confident, trying way too hard to act like brooding future kings.
Then Harry had walked in, he didn't look rigid at all, his dark curls were entirely windswept from the London drizzle, and he was adjusting a slightly oversized jacket that looked like heâd borrowed it last minute, when his eyes scanned the crowded room, he caught you watching him, instead of giving you a competitive smirk, he had offered a remarkably warm, slightly goofy smile, navigated the maze of chairs, and dropped his backpack right next to yours. "Hi," heâd said softly, rubbing his palms against his jeans, âmadhouse in here, innit? Iâm Harry by the wayâ, there was an immediate, grounding lack of pretense about him, you smiled back, introducing yourself, and within minutes, the crushing weight of the audition had simply evaporated, running lines together in hushed whispers, you realized he wasn't trying to perform some stoic caricature of royalty, he genuinely cared about Jaceâs emotional vulnerability, he matched your take on the script with an effortless chemistry that left you completely disarmed, now, standing outside the double doors of the main audition room after the casting assistant called both your names, Harry nudges your shoulder with his.
âdon't stress" he whispers, his eyes warm, âwe've got this, yeah?â
"You nervous?" you ask, teasingly raising an eyebrow.
âAbsolutely terrified" he admits with a soft laugh, adjusting his collar, âwhich is great, because I'm pretty sure Jace feels terrified twenty four seven"
When the doors swing open, you walk in together, the room is vast, lined with high definition cameras and a long row of folding tables, behind them sit the showrunners, the casting directors, and Ryan Condal, they look exhausted, having spent days watching kids mimic fantasy tropes with deep voices and heavy, unnatural gestures.
"Welcome, both of you" Ryan says, offering an encouraging nod, âweâre jumping straight into scene three., for context Jacaerys has just discovered the crushing truth regarding his lineage and heâs spiraling, heâs furious, his pride is completely wounded... and your character is the only person on Dragonstone who can break through his walls and understand him. Whenever you're readyâ, both of you swallowed with tension.
You and Harry took your positions on the taped X's in the center of the room, the red recording lights on the cameras blinked to life as harry closes his eyes for a single beat, when he opens them, the sweet, goofy boy from the hallway is gone, his posture straightens, but his shoulders carry a heavy, suffocating weight, his jaw is clenched so tightly a muscle ticks in his cheek, and his dark eyes burn with a raw mixture of teenage rage and profound hurt.
He begins pacing like a caged animal, reciting Jace's lines with a breathless, furious cadence. âlet them whisper, then, let them call me whatever they dare in the dark, I am the eldest son of the rightful queen, and I will not sit by while they tear her name and mine to shreds" In previous reads with other actors, they had shouted the lines directly at you, puffing out their chests and turning the moment into a generic screaming match to show dominance, but you remembered the subtext you and Harry talked about outside, how Jaceâs anger was just a desperate shield for his terror, and instead of matching his loud volume, you step directly into his path, forcing him to halt dead in his tracks.
âStop pacing for a secondâŚ.â you say, your voice dropping into a quiet, steady cadence that anchors the entire room, âlet them speak their poison, let the lords of Westeros choke on their envy, you are a Velaryon, your blood is fire, a crown is not given by the whispers of old men, Jace. It is earned by the sacrifices of the one who wears itâ, you gently tap his chest with your finger, right over his heart, Harry freezes, the raw intensity in your eyes catches him completely off guard, he doesn't just deliver his next line; he reacts to yours.Â
For a long moment, the space between you crackles with an electric, unscripted stillness, behind the folding tables, the executives hold their breath, nobody even dares to shift in their chairs, harryâs chest heaves under his jacket, his breath hitching slightly as his dark eyes search yours, drinking in the unwavering calm youâre offering him in the middle of his storm.Â
He shakes his head slightly, a harsh, humorless laugh escaping his throat that wasn't in the sides at all, âyou speak of crowns as if they are ours to takeâ, he says, stepping even closer, his voice dropping an octave, raspy with unshed tears, âtell me how⌠how can I stand before a dragon, how can I lead an army when every lord in the realm looks at my face and knows I am a bastard? they laugh at me behind closed doorsâ, you could feel the fear radiating out of him, when you grabbed his arm he tensed.
âthen make them bow before they can laughâ, you answer without hesitation, stepping toe to toe with him, refusing to let him retreat into his own dark thoughts, âlet them doubt your hair or your eyes, but never, and listen to me...â you grabbed his face, so softly he thought he imagined it ââŚnever let them make you doubt who you are. Stop trying to face everything on your own, you are not alone in this fortress Jace, I am hereâ
Step by step, the anger visibly drains from his posture, leaving behind a heartbreaking vulnerability. He takes a half step closer, closing the physical distance under the harsh studio lights. His breathing is shallow, and on pure, unscripted instinct he reaches out, his fingers brushing against your wrist, a silent, desperate plea for grounding., when he speaks, his voice cracks with genuine emotion, âthey⌠they look at me and they see a lie... and sometimes... sometimes I look in the mirror, and what if they're right my love? What if I am just a lie?â
âthen do not look in the mirrorâŚâ you whisper, closing the remaining space between you until your shoulders touch, your eyes filled with emotion as your face acted on its own, your hand moved on its own, locking your fingers firmly with his ââŚand come to me, I cannot promise to change how you feel, but I can make you see who you areâ.
âand what if I fail?" Harry whispers back, unscripted, his forehead leaning down toward yours until your breath mingles in the quiet room, his eyes flicker down to your lips for a split second before locking back onto yours with a desperate, beautiful intensity, âwhat if I tear everything down?"
âthen we can rebuild it togetherâ, you answer instantly, the words spilling out completely naturally, as if you'd been waiting your whole life to say them to him, âburn the world if you must, Jacaerys, but I will not let you burn yourselfâ, the silence that follows your sentence is absolute, for three long seconds, neither of you moved, entirely locked in an intensity that makes the modern casting room feel like a candle lit chamber in Dragonstone. Nobody in the room dares to cut the scene, completely mesmerized by the sheer weight of the moment hanging between you two.
âand... cut" Ryan Condal says softly, breaking the spell like a gentle tap on glass, behind the table, no one is typing, the casting director slowly lowers her pen, looking at Ryan with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, the director sits back, a massive smile breaking across his face as he lets out a quiet laugh and shakes his head in disbelief.
âwhere on earth did that come from?â, Ryan asks, leaning forward on his elbows and staring between the two of you in utter awe, âguide me for a bit, uhm the physical contact, the improvisation⌠who told you to take it there?"
"No one, sirâ, Harry stammers out, his face flushing red as he rubs the back of his neck, instantly breaking character, âwe just... outside in the hall, we were talking about how terrified Jace really is under all that anger, and it just felt like what they would say to each other"
"It was pure instinctâ, you add softly, catching your breath as you look over at Harry.
Ryan exchanges a stunned look with the director, tapping his pen against the table, âMhm instinct like that is rare, very rare, you two didn't just read the scene, you completely rewrote the energy in this room, bam just like thatâ
"Well, wellâ the director says, "Sarah, I think we can officially cancel the rest of the afternoonâs auditions, donât you think?, Kids, that wasn't a chemistry read, that was lightning in a damn bottleâ, Harry slowly blinks, the heavy character melting away instantly as his ears turn a brilliant shade of red, he looks down at his shoes, then over at you, an ecstatic grin breaking across his face.
"The way you two moved together, trusting each other's rhythm... oh man you can't teach that" the casting director adds, making a massive mark next to both your names, âyou two are literally them"
As you walk out of the casting office a few minutes later, the adrenaline is still humming through your veins, Harry turns to you in the quiet corridor, hands shoved deep into his pockets, his eyes shining, âsoâŚâ he murmurs, his voice laced with that brilliant, cheeky wit, ââŚI guess that means we're going to be spending a lot of time together"
âlooks like it my prince," you smile back, your heart doing a strange, entirely unscripted flip in your chest, neither of you had any idea then that the intense connection that stunned a room full of executives was going to completely redefine the next few years of your lives, both on top of dragons, and off.
Three long years later⌠(idk how to do time skips im sorry)
"If you pull my cloak one more time, I swear to God, Harry, Iâm telling the directors youâre sabotaging me" you whisper, leaning close so the lavalier microphones tucked under your heavy leather costume don't pick it up.
"Itâs not my fault!" Harry whispers back aggressively, though the massive smirk on his face completely gives him away, âthis tunic weighs like forty pounds and the velvet on your shoulder is practically begging to be grabbed, Itâs for character accuracy babe, Jace is possessive"
"Jace is a dramatic menace and so are you" you laugh, ducking out of his reach as the hair and makeup team scurries onto the set to fix a stray lock of your hair.
You two where currently deep in the production of Season 3, sitting on a massive, foam-rendered battlements set in Wales, season 1 had been a blur of nervous rehearsals, learning how to walk in heavy medieval boots, and late night study sessions in hotel rooms over cold pizza, dissecting character arcs. Season 2 brought longer hours, heavier emotional scenes, and a realization that neither of you was acting anymore when Jace and your character looked at each other like the rest of the world was burning down around them.
"Alright, and⌠we are rolling" the assistant director calls out, echoing across the chilly studio stage, âquiet on set! and... action!" The playful banter instantly vanishes. Harry shifts his weight, his posture hardening into the prince of Dragonstone. The wind machines kick up, blowing fake smoke and ash across the stone floor, you step up beside him at the edge of the set's ledge, looking out over the green screen that will eventually be rendered into a stormy sea.
"The fleet sails at dawn," Harry says, his voice carrying that grounded, low cadence heâd mastered over the years, he turns to you, his eyes dark with the heavy knowledge of whatâs coming, "If I go to the Gullet... if I do not return..."
âdo not⌠do not finish that phraseâ, you interrupt taking his hand, your thumbs brushing over his knuckles just like you did in that very first audition room, âdo not speak of loss before the blades are even drawn, you will return to me, Jacaerys, that is not a requestâ, he looks at your joined hands, then up at your eyes, the camera creeps in close, catching the quiet, agonizing tenderness between you, for a second, the script falls away, the way his breath hitches, the subtle soften in his gaze, thatâs not Jace looking at a fellow noble, thatâs Harry, your harry, utterly besotted with you, completely forgetting that eighty crew members are watching.
He leans in, pressing his forehead against yours, whispering the scripted line with a sincerity that makes your skin tingle, âalways"
"Cut! Oh so beautiful, thatâs a wrap on the battlements sequence"
The set bursts into noise, technicians start moving lighting rigs, wind machines spin down, and the heavy atmosphere vanishes, Harry lets out a long breath, rolling his shoulders back âsweet mother of jesus, my lower back is destroyed todayâ, he groans softly, though he doesn't let go of your hand, instead he tugs you gently toward the side of the stage away from the chaos, "How did that feel? was it alright?"
âCome on you know It was perfect Hâ, you say reaching up to pick a stray bit of fake ash out of his dark curls, âyou were brilliant, very brooding, very tragic"
"I aim to please" he winks, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you flush against him behind a wooden prop wall, he tilts his head, kissing you softly on the lips, a slow, sweet kiss that has nothing to do with Westeros or showrunners.
When he pulls back, heâs grinning that same goofy, warm smile from the audition room three years ago, âI love that I get to do this with you, seriously, best job in the world"
"Yeah? even with the forty pound tunic and both of us dying in the next scene?â
âYes maâam even with the dyingâ he chuckles, resting his chin on your shoulder, âthough I wouldn't complain if we wrapped early so we could go grab proper food, Iâm literally starvingâ, he pressed his forehead against your shoulder.
"We have two more scenes today drama queenâ, you remind him, tapping his nose.Â
You're so bossy, you know that?" Harry sighs, though he's grinning ear to ear as he buries his face briefly into the crook of your neck, taking a deep breath of your perfume before stepping back, âtwo more scenes, then food, real food, not craft services fruit platters"
âdeal" you smile straightening his leather collar that had gotten twisted during the scene. ânow come on, let's get back before the director thinks we ran off"
Later that evening, after the long, grueling shoot wrapped and the heavy costumes were finally shed, you both found yourselves sitting in the back of a black car heading back toward your hotel in Cardiff, the rain was drumming a steady, rhythmic pattern against the tinted windows. Harry sat close beside you, his long legs stretched out, his fingers comfortably laced with yours, he looked so tired, the faint dark circles under his eyes proof of the intense filming schedule, but his expression was entirely peaceful, he squeezed your hand gently, looking over at you in the dim light of the passing streetlamps.
âremember when we first got the call that we both booked it?" he asked softly, a nostalgic smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, âmy mum literally started crying in the kitchen, and I was just sitting there on the floor thinking, âright, don't mess this up, you've got to act with that brilliant girl from the audition room again'"
You laughed, resting your head on his shoulder, "You really thought I was brilliant?"
"Are you joking? You completely ran that roomâ, he said, turning his head to press a warm kiss against your hair, I knew right then, honestly, even before Jace and your character had their slow burn on paper, I was already totally done for"
"You're so dramatic Collett," you teased, though your heart warmed, leaning further into his side.
âjust honest dearâŚâ he murmured, his arm tightening around your waist as the car glided smoothly through the wet streets, ââŚjust honestâ.
the chemistry read dialogues are a big shit and trust me they were worse bc I changed them like 5 times
@missconduct1676 -> By any chance is it possible to have Harry and Co Star Reader attend a convention for guest appearances? Perhaps the two do a panel to promote the show? The interviewer asks them typical question like: What was your reaction when you were casted? Who did you tell first about booking the role? What was it like first day on set? How did you feel when you first got into costume, hair and makeup? Then onto more personal questions seeing as the two play lovers in the show. Questions like: How did you two prepare for your roles as lovers? How did you two build up chemistry? How does it feel to grow up together on the show?
MATERIALIST
âWait, are you actually wearing that jacket, or are you just trying to steal the spotlight before we even step out there?â
Harry didnât look up from his phone, though his mouth twitched into a familiar, quiet smirk. He was leaning against the backstage dressing room table, one high-top propped against the frame, casually tossing a piece of dried mango into his mouth.
âFirst of all, this jacket is classic,â he said, finally looking up through the mirror. âSecond of all, if anyoneâs taking the room today, itâs you. Look at youâ
âDon't dodge the question Collett, youâre definitely trying to out dress meâ
You walked over and tugged at the lapel of his leather jacket, catching the faint scent of his cologne - low-key earthy, and entirely comforting, without missing a beat, Harry tossed his phone onto the table and hooked an arm around your waist pulling you close, he rested his chin on your shoulder for a brief, quiet second before looking back up.
âNeverâ he murmured, his tone dropping into something far warmer than his usual banter, âyou look amazingâ he sighed âready for this?â
âHonestly? A little weirded outâ you admitted, resting a hand against his chest, âweâve done press before, but this is the first proper panel since⌠well, they know weâre together off-screen tooâ you bit your lip nervously âwhat if they ask us weird questions, have you seen what happened with the guys from winx club? That got weird real quickâ
Harry let out a quiet laugh, the sound instantly cutting through the nervous edge in your chestt as he pressed a quick kiss to your temple, his thumb brushing against your wrist, âhey. Itâs just us up there, same as always. We sit down, answer some questions, try not to spoil season three, thats easyâ
âEasy for you, saying this as if youâre not the one who nearly leaked episode one in Londonâ
âThat was one timeâ Harry defended himself, a genuine grin breaking through, âand the question was trickyâ
A knock at the door cut him off, a runner stepped in, holding a walkie-talkie, âHey, five minutes to stage for Harry and Y/N, roomâs packedâ
âRight, thanksâ Harry called back, he turned back to you, his eyes steady, âReady?â
âLetâs just get it over withâ you teased.
âFairâ he chuckled, lacing his fingers through yours, âletâs goâ
The noise hit like a physical wave the second you stepped through the heavy curtain.
Thousands of people were shouting, waving flags, and holding up signs, the floor of the convention hall literally vibrated, you waved, keeping your smile natural as Harry led you out toward the seats, he gave your hand a quick, reassuring squeeze before letting go so you could both sit in the armchair setups under the bright stage lights.
The moderator waited for the noise to settle before lifting her mic.
âWelcome, everyone!â she shouted over the lingering cheers, âplease give it up for house of the Dragonâs favorite coupleâ
The room blew up again, Harry leaned into his mic, raising an eyebrow, âso howâs it going, London?â
The crowd went wild as you laughed, adjusting your mic, âHi, everyone, seeing this many people in one room is still bizarreâ
âRight?â the host said, turning to you both, âwe are so hyped to have you here, the dynamic between your characters has been a massive talking point online, but before we get into the heavy stuff, let's take it back to the startâ
She looked at you first, âwhat was your reaction when you actually booked the job?â
âHonestly? total shock,â you said, âI think I just stared at my agent for about thirty seconds, my brain kind of rejected the information, youâre like, what the actual fuck, It didn't actually hit me until the first table readâ
âWhat about you, Harry?â the host asked, âwho did you tell first?â
Harry leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, âwell my mum, immediately, I think I was in the kitchen when the call came through, I hung up and just froze, she was making tea, looked at me, and asked if someone had died. I just told her⌠mom I got the role and she nearly dropped the mug, total chaosâ
The audience laughed.
âAnd that first day on set?â the host pushed, âwhat was that like?â
âIntimidating very very intimidatingâ you said glancing at Harry who nodded, âyou step onto these massive physical sets and realize how huge the machine is, real stone, real fires, a lot of extras, my hands were shaking so much during my first take that I had to tuck them into the pockets of the dressâ
âYeah, same but with our the dressâ Harry agreed laughing, âmy first day was in the courtyard, I was trying to look brooding and important, but internally I was sweating, then you get thrown into the hair and makeup trailer an hour go get the stupid wig from season oneâ he groaned.
âRight, the transformationâ the host noted, âhow did it feel seeing yourselves in full gear for the first time?â
âIt shifts your mindsetâ Harry said, âyou put on the leather doublet, they pin the wig and suddenly youâre into medieval times, you look in the mirror and go, âOkay, cool I can get the plague now.â It changes how you act completelyâ
âI honestly thought that I could make a lord fall in love with meâ you added.Â
âLiterallyâ Harry laughed. âZero thoughts, just waiting for her coffee and a lordâ
âI mean you are kind of a lord, no? I mean prince, lord, noble man I could conquerâ you giggles as you looked at harry.
He looked at you, a soft glint appearing in his eyes âoh, and you didâ
âSpeaking of sitting together in the morningâ the moderator said, her tone shifting slightly as the room quieted in anticipation, âletâs talk about what everyoneâs been waiting forâŚâ
A subtle wave of giggles ran through the front rows, harry caught your eye, offering a quick and amused glance.
âThe connection between your characters is one of the most popular parts of the show,â the moderator continued, âclassic slow burn, how did you two build that dynamic on screen?â
You shifted in your chair, âwe spent a lot of time doing reads and rehearsals before we ever filmed together but I think everything came naturally, we were friends before we even started filmingâ
âYeah,â Harry nodded leaning back, âwe decided early on that our characters had to be each otherâs safe space, Dragonstone is chaotic, so they had to feel grounded with each other, we talked a lot off-set about their backstory, some stuff that wasn't in the script, just to make the connection feel real by the time we shotâ
âWas the chemistry instant?â the host asked.
Harry laughed, âhonestly, it was just really easy, which was completely fine until we had to do serious scenes.â
The crowd cheered, and you shook your head laughing along.
âNo, seriously do you know how hard she makes it to not laugh?â Harry pushed on, grinning, âwe just got on immediately, same dry humor, we could be in the middle of this intense, dramatic moment, and the second they called cut, weâd start messing aroundâ
âIt made the work so much easierâ you said looking at him, âbecause we trusted each other, we didn't have to force anything, the hardest part was keeping a straight face during heavy emotional scenes because we knew each other too wellâ
âThere was one scene in season twoâ Harry added, looking at the audience, âvery, very serious the director told us with the straightest face possible that we could not mess around, so Iâm supposed to give this grounded, responsible heir to the throne speech, you get me. And right before âaction,â a fly landed right on my nose, and the light was dying, so I couldn't break. I had to look into her eyes while being cross-eyed, trying to ignore this fly.â
âAnd I was supposed to be dead silent letting him break downâ you laughed, âbut I was literally shaking trying not to laugh out loud, we lost twenty minutes trying to stop laughingâ
The crowd cracked up.
âYou two basically grew up on this set togetherâ the host said softly with a knowing smile in her face, âlooking back, how has that experience been, well professionally and personally?â
Harryâs tone shifted, losing the quirky tone for something quieter, âItâs been huge, this industry is weird and moves really fast, having someone next to you whoâs navigating the exact same madness keeps you grounded, Watching y/n work and grow as an actress has been brilliant, we basically grew up on set we spent 5 years filming together, but off set, we just helped each other stay normalâ
â100%â you agreed. âItâs very easy to feel overwhelmed on a project this big, having harry there from day one made everything so much manageable, It felt like having a constant anchor on setâ
The host smiled, âand now, of course, we have to mention the real-life side of things,.â
The room perked up again, âfor a while the fans were guessingâŚâ the host said, ââŚthen a few months ago, you officially confirmed youâre dating in real life, congrats by the way, how did that transition happen from friends to you know, something more?â
Harry looked at you, letting you take it if you wanted, you gave him a subtle head nod, letting him go ahead.
âIt was just slowâŚâ harry said simply, âwe were best mates for a really long time, purely platonic, I mean eating cold catering and complaining about 5 AM pick-ups isnât very romanticâ he mentioned pursing his lips.
âStrictly platonic,â you added, âeven though my mum asked me about him every time I went home to visitâ
âOh did she?â Harry asked, genuinely surprised, âsmart woman, thats why I like her so muchâ, you rolled your eyes at his phrase.
âSo who realized first?â the host pressed.
Harry raised a hand right away, âMe, oh yeah definitely meâ
A collective laugh went through the crowd.
âIt wasn't a dramatic movie moment to be honestâ Harry explained, âwe were filming in Wales, terrible weather by the way, and freezing rain, we were stuck in a tiny holding tent for hours waiting for a reset, everyone else was knocked out, and she was just sitting across from me wrapped in about what,four coats? trying to teach me some terrible card game, which I completely forgot how to play by nowâ He smiled at the memory. âI just looked over, saw her laughing at some terrible joke Iâd made, and realized, âAh, right. Iâm fuckedâ It hit me all at once, after that I tried to play it cool during romantic scenes, but that was pretty much impossibleâ
âYou never told me it was Walesâ you said, looking at him in disbelief.
âI couldn't say anything back thenâ Harry joked, âwe had three weeks of shooting left, It wouldâve been weirdâ
âI wouldn't have caredâ you replied, bumping your shoulder against his, âI was already struggling to keep it professional anywayâ
âWait, so you both were hiding it?â the host asked, amused.
âCompletely,â you confessed, âItâs scary when your scene partner is your best friend, you don't want to make things uncomfortable on set if itâs one-sidedâŚso we just spent months pretending everything was totally normal while internally stressing outâ
âWe were terrible at hiding it, apparentlyâ Harry chipped in. âthe cast knew way before we actually said anything, Tom literally pulled me aside one afternoon and told me to get on with it because the tension was annoying everyone, everyone! I was stunnedâ
The audience broke into a laugh.
âSo how did it actually happen?â the host asked.
âAfter the wrap party,â you mentioned, âend of season two, we were outside the hotel in London around two in the morning, just saying goodbye because we weren't going to see each other for a few months, you know summer breakâ
Harry picked up the story, his voice quiet. âI just realized if I didn't say it then, I was going to regret it my whole life, so I stopped overthinking, and just said, âLook, Iâm pretty sure Iâve been in love with you for a year, and itâs ridiculous at this point.ââ
âAnd your response?â the host asked you.
âI didn't say muchâŚâ you admitted giggling. âI just kissed him and said, âTook you long enough, Collettââ.
harry leaned over and knocked his shoulder against yours, the crowd reacting with another loud wave of applause âand now youâre public, doing press togetherâŚâ the host said. âHowâs that transition been?â
âHonestly fineâ Harry said, âThe fans have been decent about it, Itâs actually nicer doing these press tours now because we don't have to act like weâre just very polite co-workersâ
âMuch less exhausting I must sayâ you agreed.
The panel shifted into fan questions shortly after, covering light topics like line memory, stunt mishaps, and costume blunders. Harry was sharp and easygoing the whole time, occasionally tossing in a joke or leaning over to whisper something off-mic to make you laugh. When the moderator finally wrapped things up, you both stood, waved to the crowd, and made your way offstage behind the curtain, the deafening noise of the hall faded into a low hum the second the thick fabric fell shut behind you. The quiet backstage hallway felt cool and empty.
Harry stepped into the space next to you, pulling you slightly to the side near the break room doors, he reached out, wrapping an arm loosely around your waist to pull you close, leaning his forehead against yours.
âThat went surprisingly wellâ he muttered, a small smile on his face.
ânot badâ you agreed, putting your hands against his jacket, âthough telling several thousand people about Tom was a choice.â
âIt was relevant to the story darlingâ Harry chuckled softly, his eyes staying on yours, âand as much as it pains me, he was right anywayâ
âAbout what?â
âAbout getting on with itâ He leaned down and pressed a short, soft kiss to your lips, quiet, simple, and entirely away from the cameras, just yours to see and feel. When he pulled back, his hand stayed on your waist, his thumb lightly tracing the hem of your top. The faint hum of the convention hall buzzed in the distance, but back here in the dim backstage corridor, it felt miles away.
â Im starvingâ Harry said suddenly, the quiet romance instantly giving way to his usual pragmatic self, âare you starving? Because if I have to look at another piece of dried fruit or lukewarm catering sandwiches, Iâm going to lose my mindâ
You laughed, resting your forehead against his chest for a second. âI could eat an entire pizza right nowâ
âSay no more thenâ Harry unclipped his body mic and handed it to a waiting sound tech with a quick, appreciative nod, he grabbed your coat from the break room rack, draped it over your shoulders and took your hand, leading you toward the back exit where a tinted van was idling. âJhonâs or proper wood-fired? Iâm feeling proper wood-firedâ
âWood-fired, extra cheeseâ you specified, sliding into the back seat of the car.
Harry climbed in right after you, slamming the door shut with a satisfying thud that cut off the lingering noise of the venue completely, he sank into the leather seat letting out a long, dramatic exhale that made his shoulders drop two inches.
âGodâ he muttered, running a hand through his messy curls, âpanels are brilliant, but my head is literally ringingâ.
âYou did greatâŚâ you said, leaning your head against his shoulder. âVery charming, a little bit of oversharing...â
âI didn't overshareâ Harry protested, though he immediately wrapped his arm around you and pulled you sideways so you were comfortable, âthe people want authenticity, loveâ
âYou told them my mum was shipping us before we were even a thingâ
âAnd she wasâŚâ Harry grinned down at you, his eyes crinkling at the corners. âIâm definitely putting her in my speech if we ever win a couple award, âSpecial thanks to y/nâs mum for seeing the visionââ
âUgh don't give feed her ego, sheâll never let me hear the end of itâ
The car glided through Londonâs late afternoon traffic, the rain just beginning to smudge the windows into long streaks of yellow and red light, It was quiet in the back seat, just the soft hum of the heater and the low ambient chatter of the radio. After weeks of high energy promotion, long interviews, and constant fan interactions, these quiet pockets of time together were the only moments that felt entirely real. When you reached the quiet pizzeria tucked away on a side street in Soho, Harry shoved a beanie over his head, pulled his jacket collar up, and hopped out to open your door, he kept a steady grip on your hand as you both slipped inside, securing a small, dark booth tucked into the back corner away from the main windows. Within twenty minutes, a steaming pizza and two drinks were on the table.
âRightâ Harry said, tearing off a massive slice, âNo talk about season three, no talk about dragon CGI, no talk about press schedules, oh and talking my posture is completely forbidden, deal?â
âDealâ you agreed, giggling before taking a bite, âJust completely normal human talk, got itâ
âProper normalâ he nodded, pointing a crust at you, âso⌠what are we watching tonight? Because if you suggest that dark crime documentary again, Iâm going to have nightmaresâ
âIt was very fulfilling for you informationâ
âIt was terrifying dearâ harry corrected, chewing with a deadpan expression âI feel like watching something stupid, a cartoon movie, oh or a terrible reality show where people marry strangersâ he mentioned while rising his eyebrows.
âYou hate realitiesâ you said mocking him âwhat are you on about?â
âI hate it until episode three and then Iâm emotionally invested and crying on the sofa because Dave didn't pick Emilyâ he admitted without a shred of shame, you shook your head, smiling into your drink. Looking at him sitting across from you, arguing passionately about trashy telly while wiping pizza sauce off his thumb, it was hard to reconcile this boy with the solemn, brooding prince millions of people watched on screen every week, but you guess that was the best part of it all, he was still just Harry, the boy who made you laugh until your ribs hurt in freezing holding tents.
âWhat are you looking at, do I have something in my face?â Harry asked, catching your gaze with a suspicious smile.
âOh nothingâ you said softly, âjust glad we got through todayâ, Harryâs expression softened. He reached across the small table, his fingers finding yours beside the napkin dispenser. He squeezed your hand, his thumb gently rubbing over your knuckles.
âMe tooâŚâ he said, his voice dropping into that familiar, quiet warmth, âdoing all of this⌠itâs brilliant, but doing it with you? Itâs the only reason I stay partially saneâ
âDon't get mushy now, CollettâŚâ you teased gently, though your chest felt light and full, âyou promised normal talk, remember?â
âRight, sorry,â he smirked, sliding another slice onto his plate, âsoâŚback to Dave and Emily, Iâm telling yo Daveâs red flags were visible from spaceâ
lmao not me changing how they realised they were in love and how they confesssss, not sorry. đ
also apologies bc this has been unfinished in my drafts since the start of july đ
You are 100% keeping my fed with your co star fics. Ive never ever enjoyed something so much like this before! Im so excited to see what you come up with next!
omg reading this makes me solo happy bc it is the first time (since I started posting here ofc) that I interacted with sm peopleee. Im so glad y'all like it as much as I do.
hiii, hoope ur doing greatt!! i just got an idea what about harry and oc taking the friendship test by glamour but before they got together and they r still stupid idiots in denial and people r looking at then like this buahaha
orrr what about like them doing the chemistry test before they got officially casted in hotd and the chemistry is so good that even the casting directors r like this....
I have a draft about the chemistry testtt, I need to fix a couple of thing abut it, but ill tag you when I post it. but I might steal your idea ab the glamour test hehe
i just watched that one video of the cast playing whoâs who, and harry mentioning abt his season 1 postuređ
what if he visits the doctor and asks costar!reader to go with him, heâs worried about his spine and everything but it all ends funny/on a light note after the doctor confirms thereâs nothing wrong with him đ
also love love LOVE your work<3 i genuinely read them diligently everydayđ
I thought about writing this bc I have a lot of drafts and idk when to post them!!! đđ also sorry for any spelling mistake!! English is not my first language.
Harry Collett x costar! reader (1,7k)
You found yourself on a rainy Tuesday morning, sitting in the passenger seat of Harryâs car, listening to him quietly spiral for the fifth time in twenty minutes.
"I'm telling you love, it's fucked," Harry said, his voice dropping an octave as he gripped the steering wheel, peering intently at the traffic ahead. "I look like a bloody question mark, my spine is doing things a spine shouldn't be doing."
You took a slow breath, leaning your head against the headrest to look at him. "Harry, your spine is fine"
"No, it's not just that" Harry insisted, his accent thickening the way it always did when he got dramatically defensive. "Have you seen the memes? The entire internet thinks I have no lumbar support! 'Jace Velaryon posture' is literally a fucking trending audio, fuckâŚwhat if I'm shrinking? I'm already not massive, I can't afford to lose two inches to a curved back"
You snorted, trying, and so failing, to hide a laugh behind your hand. "You're not shrinking Hâ
"You're laughing," he said, turning his head at a red light to look at you with deep, tragic betrayal written across his face, âmy spine is disintegrating and my own girlfriend is laughing at me, cold-blooded, wowâ
"I am accompanying you to a private doctor's appointment at eight in the morning on my day off," you pointed out, reaching over to pat his knee. "If that isn't true love, I don't know what is"
Harryâs face softened instantly, his dramatic panic melting into that soft, dopey smile he only ever saved for you. He leaned across the center console, catching your hand and pressing a quick, loud kiss to the back of your knuckles. "I know I know you're a saint, genuinely a gorgeous,â he kissed your cheek âperfect saintâ he kissed you again âbut if the doctor says I need a full back brace, im not getting out of the flatâ
"Deal" you grinned.
Moving Harry through a waiting room was always an event, mostly because he couldn't sit still when he was nervous. While you sat comfortably on the leather sofa scrolling through your phone, Harry paced the length of the room, adjusting his oversized hoodie, bouncing on his heel, and periodically stopping in front of an anatomical poster of the human skeleton to glare at it like it had personally insulted his family.
"Look at that" he whispered loudly, pointing at the poster's spine âstraight as an arrow, mine's probably shaped like a bendy straw."
"Harry, sit down before you give me an aneurysm" you laughed softly, pulling him down by his sleeve until he collapsed onto the couch beside you.
The moment he sat, the clingy boyfriend kicked in. He immediately slid his arm around your waist, resting his head heavily against your shoulder, inhaling deep and burying his nose into the crook of your neck.
"Harry, we're in public" you teased, though you automatically ran your fingers through his soft hair.
"Don't care, I need emotional support," he mumbled into your collarbone. "If I'm dying, I want to be cozy."
"You're not dying, you dramatic idiot"
"Harry Collett?" a nurse called out from the doorway, holding a clipboard.
Harry jolted up, his eyes widening. "Right, this is it. If I don't make it out, tell Ryan Condal to give Jace a heroic off-screen death."
You rolled your eyes, pulling him up by his hand. "Come on, dramatic, let's go"
The consultation room was bright and clinical, dominated by an older, exceptionally patient-looking doctor named Dr. Evans. He greeted you both warmly, clearly recognizing Harry but remaining entirely professional as Harry sat on the examination table, looking like a nervous golden retriever at the vet.
"So⌠Harry," Dr. Evans began, clicking his pen over a chart. "What seems to be the issue today? Lower back pain? Sciatica? Any numbness?"
"Well, doc," Harry started, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, ironically hunching over completely as he spoke. "It's not really pain, It's more of a... structural integrity issue"
Dr. Evans blinked. âSorry structural integrity?"
"Yeah," Harry said solemnly. "I think my posture is permanently ruined. I've been getting... feedback, thousands of people, actually. They've been making side-by-side edits of me standing next to a shrimp. And I laughed at first, right? But then I looked in the mirror, and I was like, wait?"
You had to bite the inside of your cheek so hard it bled just to keep from bursting out laughing. You covered your mouth with a hand, pretending to cough.
Dr. Evans looked from Harry's dead-serious, deeply concerned face over to you, catching the absolute hilarity in your eyes. The doctor's lips twitched slightly, but he kept his composure. "I see, so, social media feedback has led to a concern regarding spinal curvature?"
"Yes" Harry exclaimed, clapping his hands together. âexactly that, look, I'll show you." Harry stood up abruptly, stripping off his heavy hoodie to reveal a plain black t-shirt. âokay, so when I'm relaxed, I stand like this..." He slouched forward, rounding his shoulders dramatically until he looked like a medieval peasant carrying a sack of potatoes, âand when I try to stand straight, it feels so weird, like what's wrong with me?"
The doctor chuckled softly, standing up from his chair. "Alright, Harry, step over to the wall for me, let's give you a look"
For the next ten minutes, you watched in utter delight as the doctor performed a series of basic physical exams. He had Harry bend over to touch his toes, tilt his head from side to side, and stand up against a height board. You took out your phone and discreetly filmed a three-second video of Harry standing completely rigid against the wall, his eyes darting around nervously like he was being processed into prison.
"Well, Harry" Dr. Evans said finally, washing his hands at the sink and grabbing a paper towel "I have the official diagnosis."
Harry held his breath, looking genuinely tense. "Give it to me straight, doc, am I getting a back brace?"
"You haveâŚâ the doctor said, turning around with a dry smile, ââŚa perfectly normal and healthy spine, excellent mobility, zero signs of scoliosis, and perfectly aligned vertebrae."
Harry blinked. "Wait, for real?â
âyesâ the doctor said, smiling. "What you have, Harry, is what we in the medical field call... bad habits. You slouch when you're relaxed, likely because you're tall (lmao he wishes) and comfortable, and you probably spend too much time looking down at your phone."
You couldn't hold it in anymore. A loud, ringing laugh escaped your chest, and you fell back against your chair, shaking your head. "I told you, I literally told you!"
Harry turned to you, his face going a bright, furious shade of red, though a cheeky grin was already tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Okay, alright, simmer down over there will ya?â
"A shrimp, Harry?" you teased, wiping a tear from your eye. "You made me come here at eight in the morning because TikTok made you think your spine was collapsing, and the doctor just diagnosed you with slouching?"
"It was a legitimate medical concern" Harry insisted, though he was giggling now, rubbing the back of his neck in deep, adorable embarrassment. He turned back to Dr. Evans. "So... no physical therapy? No crazy back harness?"
"Maybe just do some basic core exercises and remember to pull your shoulders back when the cameras are rolling," he advised, chuckling as he handed Harry a summary slip. ââŚand perhaps stay off TikTok for a bit."
"Yeah, definitely doing that" Harry mumbled, his ears burning as he grabbed his hoodie, âthanks, doc, really appreciate you not throwing me out."
The walk back to the car was a victory lap of absolute roasting.
"I can't believe this," you said, walking side-by-side down the sunny street. "The Harry Collet defeated by bad posture"
"Listen to me," Harry said, catching your waist with one arm and pulling you tightly against his side as you walked, dropping a heavy, affectionate kiss right on your temple. "If you ever mention this to anyone, I will personally leak all the embarrassing videos I have of you singing in my trailer"
You gasped, âyou wouldn't dare" looking up at him.
"Try me love" he grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He looked so relaxed now, all that dramatic anxiety completely gone, replaced by that warm, infectious energy that had made you fall in love with him in the first place. He squeezed your hip, pulling you even closer as you reached the car, âseriously though, thank you for coming with me, even if I looked like a massive idiot."
"You always look like a massive idiot," you hummed, turning in his arms once you reached the passenger door, you wrapped your arms around his neck, leaning up on your tiptoes. "But you're my massive idiot, now with an officially certified, perfectly healthy spine.
Harry chuckled, his hands settling warm and heavy on your waist, he leaned down, pressing his forehead against yours for a quiet, sweet second before pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your lips.
âYou know I love you," he whispered against your mouth, sweet and genuine, all the joke dropping away for a fraction of a second.
"Love you too, Harryâ you smiled, kissing him back lightly. ânow, stand up straight and drive us to get breakfast, you owe me an iced coffee for this."
"Yes ma'am," Harry said, instantly pulling his shoulders back into a hilariously exaggerated, overly rigid military stance. âas you wishâ
You burst out laughing, shaking your head as you opened the car door, âjust get in the car, shrimp"
@missconduct1676 -> they go see Sabrina Carpenter during her tour stop in London and the two get arrested at her show (so I kinda got more inspired by sabrinaâs interview talking about the arrest soo I worked with that)
MATERIALIST
The soft scratch of the scrapbook page turning matches the rhythmic patter of rain outside your London apartment. On the screen of your laptop, Sabrina Carpenter is sitting behind a table littered with glitter, stickers, and Polaroids, carefully constructing a tour diary for Variety.
You have the back of your head resting on Harry's chest, his arm is wrapped securely around your waist, pulling you tightly against his chest as you both lean back against a small mountain of throw pillows on the couch. Every now and then, he presses a soft, absentminded kiss to the side of your neck, his breath warm against your skin. You can feel the quiet, steady vibration of his low chuckle when Sabrina takes a piece of tape, carefully placing it onto the page.
"Okay, Iâm going to tape this here. I hope that looks good," Sabrina says on the screen, her voice filled with that signature bright energy. "The Juno arrest has been one of the most special memories of the whole tour by far..."
Harry squeezes your hip, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Oi, look, Itâs our bit" he murmurs, his accent thick and comfortable in the quiet room, "we're famous babe, this is like officially pop culture history"
"Oh please" you laugh, tilting your head back to look at him. "We were literally shaking dont act like you weren't terrified when she pointed those pink fuzzy handcuffs at us"
"I was acting, wasn't I?" Harry protests, a playful grin tugging at his lips, "love I am a proper serious actor"
"Right, a serious actor who almost tripped over the front-row barricade because you were staring at her boots" you tease, poking his cheek.
He catches your finger in his hand, lacing his fingers through yours and bringing your hand up to kiss your knuckles "for your information I was staring at you, actually, you looked insane in the crowd lights"
Your heart does that familiar, ridiculous little flip. Even though youâve transitioned from best friends to something entirely official, the way Harry looks at you still feels like a sudden rush of warmth.
On screen, Sabrina is explaining the origin of the bit. "...Basically, I have this line in Juno that says 'Want to try on my fuzzy pink handcuffs?' And I was like 'It'd be fun to give the fans pink fuzzy handcuffs every night'" She beams at the camera, smoothing down a photo. "...But I've gone to arrest a wonderful amount of people from fans at the shows to friends of mine that come... When I got to arrest Jack Antonoff and Margaret, they were like my first ever couple arrests, which was really, really fun."Â
Then, Sabrina pauses, holding up a fresh Polaroid to the camera, Itâs a picture of you and Harry, youâre laughing, your face completely flushed, while Harry has one arm hooked around your shoulders, holding a pair of bright pink, fluffy handcuffs up to the camera like a trophy, a massive triumphant grin plastered across his face.
âBut honestly?â Sabrina says, leaning in closer to the camera with a massive, knowing smile. âMy absolute favorite couple arrest of the entire tour, like, hands down, no competition...has to be Harry Collett and y/n, I am a literal, massive fan of House of the Dragon, okay? I watch it religiously on the tour bus, and when I saw them walk into the VIP section, I think I actually forgot the lyrics to my own song for a second.â
You let out a soft groan, burying your face in Harryâs chest as he bursts out laughing, his chest shaking against your back.
âBecause if you watch the show...â Sabrina continues excitedly, gesturing with a pair of scissors, âtheir characters have the most agonizing slowburn, like, Iâm screaming at my TV every Sunday for them to just kiss already, and then to see them show up to my concert, looking so incredibly cozy, and just being so loud and proud about dating in real life? I was literally obsessed. I told my security, âBring them to the front right now, theyâre getting arrested for being too cute.â And the fact that they made it official recently? Yeah, the pink handcuffs did it.â
"See? Sabrina gets it...." Harry says, his voice vibrating against your ear as he kisses your temple. "...the slowburn was agonizing, sheâs real for that."
"It wasn't that agonizing," you argue, turning around in his lap so you're facing him properly. You rest your hands on his chest, looking into his eyes, "they were just... figuring it out"
"Babe, we took three years" Harry says softly, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw, "three years of me staring at you on set and off set, hoping you'd notice I was completely gone for you."
Your mind instantly drifts back to the beginning, you had been thrown into a whirlwind of massive sets, elaborate costumes, and intense, emotionally charged scenes. Your characters were written to be fiercely loyal to one another, childhood companions whose bond slowly, subtly shifted into something deeply romantic amidst the chaos of a brewing civil war.
Because the writers wanted the chemistry to feel completely authentic, you and Harry spent nearly every waking hour together. You memorized lines in each otherâs trailers, shared endless cups of terrible set coffee, and walked around the backlots of Leavesden Studios still dressed in your Westerosi tunics, talking about everything and nothing.
He became your safe harbor in the middle of a massive, overwhelming industry. If you were stressed before a heavy scene, Harry would find you, gently bumping his shoulder against yours and offering a stupid, terrible joke just to see you smile.
Everyone else saw it before you did tho, the crew would smirk when Harry stayed on set on his days off just to watch your coverage. The fans parsed through every interview, clipping seconds of the two of you whispering to each other on red carpets, making TikTok edits set to Taylor Swift songs with captions like 'THEY ARE LITERALLY SO IN LOVE'
"Three years was worth the waitâŚ" you say softly now, bringing yourself back to the present. You lean forward, resting your forehead against his, "..though, I gotta admit, Sabrina claiming she's the reason we made it official is pretty funny."
"Hey, the pink handcuffs were a catalyst love" Harry chuckles, his hands sliding down to rest securely on your lower back.Â
On the screen, Sabrina is moving on to the next part of her scrapbook, picking up a customized beer bottle. âOkay, great. So this is our customized Sabrina, I guess it's beer... bottle for our tour. I don't even really drink beer, which is I guess the irony...â She goes on to talk about the spin-the-bottle game she plays on stage, singing covers like Mamma Mia and 9 to 5.Â
Harry reaches over, lowering the volume on the laptop just a bit, his attention entirely returning to you, the soft, glow of the screen illuminates his face, highlighting the ridiculous, affectionate warmth in his eyes that still makes you feel entirely seen.
"You know" Harry says, his voice dropping into that quiet, intimate register he only uses when it's just the two of you, "I still get messages from the lads teasing me about it, Ewan sent me a text yesterday calling me a 'simp' because of how I was looking at you in that Variety clip they showed."
"Well, you are a simp..." you say, flashing him a wicked grin, "a certified one in fact"
"Only for you darling" he replies instantly, entirely unbothered by the label. He leans forward, his lips brushing against yours in a slow, lingering kiss that tastes faintly of the tea you'd brewed earlier, "only you"
You melt into the kiss, your fingers tangling in the messy curls at the nape of his neck. The journey from script read-throughs and nervous glances across crowded sets to this quiet, perfect moment on a rainy afternoon felt entirely surreal, yet completely inevitable.
When he pulls back, just a fraction, his forehead is still resting against yours, his breath mingling with your own "the best of friends to lovers..." he murmurs, a soft smile playing on his lips, "pretty good trope if you ask me."
"The absolute best," you agree, wrapping your arms securely around his neck and pulling him close again, completely ignoring the laptop as Sabrina continues her tour diary in the background. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
During a rainy Sunday at your flat, the playful banter shifts entirely when you finally convince him to put on his glasses. The adorable look you expected instantly turns into a sharp intensity that completely flips the power dynamic, leaving you blushing. (wr: way to intense kissing?)
MATERIALIST
The smell of synthetic smoke, damp stone, and hairspray always reminded you of how your life completely flipped upside down. You were sitting in a canvas director's chair in the corner of stage 4, wrapped in a massive puff jacket over your heavy gown. Across from you, perched on an upturned equipment crate, was Harry, he was still in full Jace gear, the dark leather tunic and that brooding prince-like posture (s1 whishes) he slipped into so easily. But right now, he wasnât being the stoic heir to the Iron Throne. He was squinting so hard at his tiny paper sides that his forehead was a map of deep creases.
"Harry, my love youâre going to give yourself a literal migraine" you said, tossing a packet of sour gummies at him. "Just put your glasses on. I promise the costume department won't sue you"
He caught the packet without looking up, showing off his reflexes, and let out a frustrated sigh. "I donât need 'em," he mumbled, his voice dripping with that stubborn british charm. "The font is just microscopic today. Seriously, who the hell printed this?"
You leaned forward and rested your chin in your hands. "youâve been squinting at that same paragraph for ten minutes. We have a massive emotional scene to shoot in twenty, and you're going to walk onto the set looking like you just stared directly into the sun"
He finally looked up, his dark eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust his focus to you. A slow, sheepish grin broke across his face, the sharp, serious angles of his character instantly melting into the boy you had fallen completely head over heels for. "you're a menace, you know that? Iâm trying to focus. Jace is supposed to be focused."
"Jace is also supposed to be able to see his love interest without tripping over a camera track" you teased, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously, where are they? In your trailer?"
"Yeah, safe in their case where they belong."
"You are actively messing your own vision, and for what? Itâs not cuteâ
He protested, throwing a gummy back at you. "The glasses make me look like a schoolboy. Iâm trying to give adult not 'please sir, I forgot my homeworkââ
You let out a soft laugh, the sound echoing in the high rafters of the soundstage. "Trust me" you said, dropping your voice as a crew member walked past carrying a massive C-stand. "The glasses are a massive bonus point. You're just denying the world greatness."
"We'll see about that," he murmured, his eyes lingering on yours with a warmth that had absolutely nothing to do with Jace and everything to do with Harry.
"Hey, we are ready for Harry and y/n on set" the first AD's voice boomed through the megaphone, cutting your moment short.
Harry stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his leather tunic, and offered you his hand with a reverence. You took it, letting him pull you up from the low chair, for a second, he didn't let go, his thumb rubbing a reassuring circle against the back of your hand.
"Ready to pretend you tolerate me for the cameras?" he whispered, a cheeky spark in his eyes.
"Always my princeâ you smiled. "Just try not to squint at me during my close-up. It ruins the romantic tension" You tease him while caressing his cheek.
He let out a quiet laugh, letting your hand slip away as you both walked toward the brightly lit reconstructed courtyard.
The transition from the hectic, stressful environment of the set to your shared London flat was always a breath of fresh air. After months of living out of suitcases and hotel rooms, now having a space that was entirely yours, and his, was the ultimate comfort. It was a cozy, slightly chaotic apartment in North London, filled with mismatched furniture, piles of scripts, a growing collection of vinyl records and a kitchen that was currently being neglected in favor of takeout.
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, the classic British weather beating a steady rhythm against the glass windows of your living room. You were curled up on the oversized sofa, buried under a mountain of knit blankets and reading a book but not paying much attention to it. Harry was sitting on the floor, his back rested against the front of the sofa, right between your knees. He was wearing a pair of faded gray sweatpants and a vintage band tee that you had definitely stolen from his closet more than once. Spread out on the coffee table in front of him were three different scripts for upcoming films his agent had sent over.
And once again, he was squinting.
"I am actually going to confiscate your eyes if you don't stop doing that" you said, reaching down to gently ruffle his messy brown curls.
"I'm not squinting" he lied instantly, his head tilting back to look up at you. From this angle, his face was framed perfectly by your knees, his dark eyes looking wide and innocent. "I'm digesting the text. It's a very advanced acting technique, you wouldn't understand" He said teasingly.
"Oh, is that what they call it now? 'digesting the text'? Because to me, it looks like you're trying to read a license plate from three kilometres away" You reached over to the side table, where his transparent-framed glasses were resting on top of a stack of books "put them on Harry, literally, what is the issue with them?â
"They're uncomfortable," he grumbled, though he didn't move away as you held them out to him.
"They are literally lightweight plastic, they weigh less than a single wig pin, stop being a baby"
Harry sighed, a dramatic suffering sound, and snatched them from your hand. "Fine, if my nose gets bruised, you're paying for the medical bills."
He unfolded the arms and slid them onto his face, adjusting the bridge with his index finger. He turned his head to look at you, his eyes a little magnified behind the clean lenses.
Your heart did a sudden, violent flip.
It was supposed to be a joke. You had spent weeks teasing him about the glasses, telling him he looked "cuteâ, like some niche movie boy next door. And he did, he looked incredibly adorable, the frames cutting through his usual sharp features and giving him this soft, boyish charm that made you want to squish his cheeks.
But as you looked at him right now, sitting in the dim, gray light of the rainy afternoon, something shifted.
The frames sat perfectly on his nose, highlighting the sharp, masculine line of his jaw and the dark, thick curve of his eyebrows. Through the glass, his eyes didn't look soft, instead they looked incredibly focused, dark, intense. It wasn't the look of a boy, no, it was the look of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
A sudden, unexpected wave of heat rushed straight to your chest, settling low in your stomach. Your breath hitched, your fingers freezing in his hair.Â
Oh, you thought, a sudden panic rising in your throat. Oh, fuck.
"What?" Harry asked, his voice dropping a register as he noticed the sudden change in your demeanor. He tilted his head, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your pulse skyrocket. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"
"No, no uhm..." you said, your voice sounding a little too breathy, a little too strained, you tried to pull your hand back from his hair, but your fingers felt heavy. "You're... you're fine."
Harryâs eyebrows pulled together behind the lenses. He didn't look away. Instead, he slowly rotated his body, shifting so he was kneeling on the floor between your legs, his hands resting on the cushions of the sofa on either side of your hips. The change in posture was sudden, his physical presence suddenly filling your entire field of vision.
"You've gone completely quiet, do you know how hard it is to shut you up?" he murmured, his dark eyes searching yours. The glasses slid down his nose just a fraction, and he looked at you over the top of the frames "Are you alright, love?"
"Yeah," you whispered, swallowing hard. "Just-just⌠tired."
"Liar" he said softly. A slow, knowing smirk began to pull at the corner of his lips. He was too damn observant. Years of studying each other's micro-expressions on set meant he could read you like an open book. He saw the slight flush on your cheeks, the way your chest was rising and falling just a bit too fast, the way your eyes kept darting to his lips and then back to the frames of his glasses.
He leaned in a fraction closer, a faint, comforting scent of his clean skin and woody cologne wrapping around you. "You're acting weird. Is it the glasses?"
âNo, no I told you, I think they're cute," you said, trying desperately to play it cool, to cling to the safe, playful dynamic you had spent the last two days establishing. "It's a wholesome look?" You said in a unppropriately unsure tone, your mouth working faster than your brain.
"Wholesome huh?" Harry repeated, his voice dropping into a low, raspy purr that sent a literal shiver down your spine. He leaned forward even more, his chest almost pressing against your knees, his face inches from yours. "Is that really what you're thinking right now love?"
"Harry-"
"Because you don't look like you're thinking about how 'wholesome' I am..." he whispered, his eyes dropping to your mouth before rising back to yours. He reached up, his long fingers wrapping around the side of his glasses, but instead of taking them off, he just adjusted them, pushing them firmly back up the bridge of his nose. The movement was incredibly deliberate, his eyes never leaving yours. "In fact, I may say you look a bit flustered"
Your mouth went completely dry. The agonizingly beautiful tension that had defined your entire relationship, was suddenly back, but this time it wasn't on a drafty soundstage with fifty crew members watching. It was in the quiet intimacy of your living room, completely unchecked.
You realized that you had made a massive tactical error. You had spent weeks begging him to wear them, thinking it would be a cute, domestic aesthetic. But seeing him like this, looking at you through those glasses was doing things to your sanity that you were completely unprepared for.
"I'm not flustered" you managed to say, moving your gaze and finding your ceiling to be the most interesting thing in the world, the squeak at the end of your sentence completely betrayed you tho.
Harry let out a low, breathy chuckle, the sound vibrating through the small space between you. He shifted his weight, his hands sliding from the sofa cushions to your waist, his fingers gripping your hips gently through the fabric of your sweatpants. The touch was warm and solid, grounding you even as your head spun.
"You are...â he murmured, his gaze dropping to your lips again. "your heart is beating incredibly fast I can see it."
"You can't see my heart Harry, it is biologically impossible"
"I can see your pulse in your neck" he countered, his voice incredibly soft, almost a tease. He leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear, his breath hot against your skin "and I can feel you shivering, so...tell me, do you still think they're just 'cute'?" His lips left a trace of kisses from the spot under your ear to your where your shoulder meets your neck.
You swallowed, your hands instinctively coming up to rest on his shoulders, holding onto him for support. The fabric of his t-shirt was soft under your palms, but the muscle beneath was tense and solid, you looked at him, taking in the sharp contrast of the glasses against his messy hair, the dark intensity of his eyes behind the lenses, the absolute confidence radiating off him.
"No..." you admitted, your voice barely a whisper. "I do not think they're cute."
Harry pulled back just enough to look you in the eyes, a slow grin spreading across his face, though his eyes remained heavy with a heat that made your knees weak. "No huh? what do you think they are, then?"
"I..." You took a shaky breath, your fingers tightening on his shoulders. "I think you look handsome" a small giggle escaped your lips "âŚand I think you know exactly what you're doing to me"
His grin widened, a soft, triumphant laugh escaping his lips. âOh, maybe I do" he whispered, one of his hands sliding up your waist to cup your face, his thumb gently wiping across your cheekbone. The plastic of his glasses brushed lightly against your forehead as he leaned in, his focus entirely and completely consumed by you.Â
"Maybe I like seeing you like this."
"Like what?"
"completely speechless" he murmured, his lips hovering mere millimeters from yours, "you're always so quick with your comebacks I quite like having the upper hand for once"
"Don't get cocky, Collett" you breathed, though you couldn't help but lean into his touch, your eyes partially closing as the anticipation reached a fever pitch.
"wouldn't dream of it" he whispered.
And then, he closed the distance.
The kiss was nothing like the gentle, sweet ones you shared when you were just waking up, or the playful ones you swapped between takes on set. It was deep, slow, and incredibly possessive, his lips moving against yours with a confident, lazy rhythm that left you completely undone. His hands slid into your hair, holding you close as he deepened the kiss, the slight edge of his glasses pressing against your cheek, a constant, electrifying reminder of exactly what had started this.
You gasped into his mouth, your hands moving from his shoulders to tangle in the soft curls at the back of his neck, pulling him closer, wanting to erase every single millimeter of distance between you. The rain continued to beat against the window, the world outside completely fading away until it was just the two of you, the warmth of the flat, and the electric fire that had finally, beautifully, consumed you both.
When he finally pulled back, both of you were breathless, your lips flushed and your chests rising and falling in sync. Harry rested his forehead against yours, his eyes closed as he took a deep, shaky breath. His glasses were slightly askew from the intensity of the kiss, but he didn't make any move to take them off.
"So" he whispered, a breathless, happy laugh in his voice. "I should... definitely wear them more often? yeah?â
"Yeah... I agree," you breathed, your hands resting against his chest, feeling the rapid, heavy beat of his heart. "but only in the house. If you wear them outside, I might actually have to fight off half of London"
Harry laughed, the sound warm and bright, and kissed your forehead gently, "deal"Â
Harryâs chest rose and fell against yours, his hands still loosely draped around your waist, his thumbs lightly tracing comforting patterns over the soft cotton of your sweatpants. He didn't pull away, and honestly, you didn't want him to.
"Youâre still staring love," he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly vibration against your forehead. He opened his eyes, those dark brown depths looking incredibly clear behind the transparent frames.
"I am not" you whispered, though your eyes instantly locked onto the way his dark eyelashes brushed against the top of the lenses.
"You literally are, your eyes are practically drilling holes into the plastic" He reached up, his long fingers catching the temple of his glasses to straighten them properly on his face. The casual, effortless motion made your stomach do another completely unwarranted backflip, "seriously, what is the vibe here? A minute ago you were laughing at me, and now youâre looking at me like Iâm a three course meal"
"Well," you teased, sliding your hands down his shoulders to tap his chest, "I guess digesting the text takes a lot of physical energy"
"Iâm starving actually" he admitted, his cheeks flushing pink, "we've been ignoring those scripts for hours, what are we thinking? Thai? Or should we risk the sketchy noodle place down the street?"
"Definitely the sketchy noodle place. Iâve been craving those greasy spring rolls all week"
"Unreal" Harry said, finally pushing himself up from the floor.Â
As he walked over to the kitchen counter to grab his phone, you stayed sitting on the edge of the cushions, wrapped in your blanket cocoon, watching him.
He stood in the warm light of the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his phone in hand, scrolling through the delivery app, he was completely unaware of the effect he was having, his curls messy, his shoulders broad under the vintage tee, and those glasses resting perfectly on his face. He chewed slightly on his lower lip as he searched the menu, his eyes moving rapidly behind the lenses. It was a completely mundane, domestic scene. But right now to you, it was pure torture.
"Do you want the spicy beef noodles or the pad thai?" Harry called out, not looking up from his screen, "and don't say both, because I know you won't finish either of them and I'll end up eating your leftovers for breakfast"
"Spicy beef," you managed to say, your voice slightly tight, "and... maybe some extra spring rolls."
"Standard" he murmured. He finalized the order, tossing his phone onto the counter. Instead of coming straight back, he poured two glasses of water, grabbing them and turning around.
He caught you staring. Again (ups).
A slow, dangerous smirk spread across his face. He walked back to the living room, his steps slow and deliberate, the ice clinking softly in the glasses. He set the water down on the coffee table and then stood right in front of you, towering over you slightly as you sat on the low couch.
"Alright, out with it" he said, folding his arms across his chest, the action pulled his t-shirt tight against his shoulders.Â
You pulled your eyes back from his chest just enough to glare up at him, though the effect was completely ruined by the breathless smile tugging at your lips, "youâre literally so smug, itâs actually painful, I created a fucking monster"
"You did" he agreed easily, his eyes crinkling at the corners, he tilted his head, looking down at you through those transparent frames, "but youâve gotta admit, the monster is kind of eating this look up"
"Honestly, the glasses need to go back in their case, your head is getting too big for this flat"
"Oh, is it?" Harryâs smirk softened into something much more dangerous, he slid his hands from your cheek down to the side of your neck, his thumbs resting right under your jaw, tilting your head up, "I don't think you actually want me to take them off, In fact, I think you're holding onto my shirt like your life depends on it"
You looked down and realized your fingers were indeed tightly fisted in the worn fabric of his vintage tee, when you looked back up, he already moved to lay in front of you in the couch as his eyes were locked onto your mouth, the playful banter died in an instant, replaced by that magnetic pull that always made the rest of the world completely fade to black.
"Harry..." you breathed.
"Yeah?" he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, raspy register that made your stomach do gymnastics.
"less talking"
He let out a soft, pleased hum, and then he closed the tiny distance between you, this time, there was no hesitation, the moment his lips met yours a quiet gasp escaped you, which he immediately drank in. He shifted his weight, pulling you fully onto his lap so you were straddling his thighs, his hands gripping your waist to secure you against him as you tangled your fingers in his soft curls, pulling him closer, completely drunk on the warmth of him and the intoxicating scent of his cologne.
The kiss was deep and slow, a perfect lazy Sunday kind of heat. He tasted like the sweet tea he'd been drinking earlier, his lips soft but demanding as they moved against yours in a rhythm that made your head spin, every time you thought youâd caught your breath, heâd tilt his head, deepening the kiss and sending a fresh wave of electricity straight down your spine.
As you pulled him closer, the edge of his transparent frames pressed gently against your temple, the physical sensation, the cool plastic against your skin while his lips were so incredibly warm.
If the previous kiss had been a lazy Sunday drift, this one was a category 5 hurricane. It was pure, unadulterated passion, the kind of heavy, desperate kissing that made your head spin and your knees instantly give out. You let out a soft sigh into the kiss, your hands sliding down his neck to grip his shoulders, Harry groaned quietly, his hands sliding up under the hem of your oversized t-shirt, his palms warm and slightly calloused against the bare skin of your waist and lower back, his thumbs traced slow, dizzying circles there, pulling you so flush against his chest that you could feel the rapid, heavy thudding of his heart matching yours beat for beat.
He pulled back for a fraction of a second, just enough to catch his breath, his lips brushing against yours as he spoke "still think it's... just a cute look?" he whispered, his voice incredibly thick and breathless.
"I think you need to shut up" you murmured, pulling him right back down.
He complied instantly, his mouth catching yours with a sudden, possessive hunger that made your toes curl, he nipped gently at your lower lip, making a soft shiver run through you, before soothing the spot with his tongue, It was the perfect, dizzying blur of comfort and desire.
You were so lost in the feeling of his hands on your waist and his mouth on yours that you almost didn't hear the sharp, rhythmic buzz of his phone on the kitchen counter.
Harry ignored it at first, his lips sliding down your jawline to press a string of warm, lingering kisses right under your ear, making you gasp and cling to his shoulders. But then, the intercom by the front door let out a loud, buzzing ring, completely shattering the silence of the flat.
Both of you froze.
Harry rested his forehead against the side of your neck, his chest heaving as he let out a long, frustrated sigh. His glasses were completely askew now, sitting crookedly on the bridge of his nose.
"the sketchy noodles" you whispered, your voice sounding incredibly raspy and dazed.
âFuckâŚâ he groaned âliterally the worst timing in human history" as a breathless laugh escaped his lips. He reached up, finally taking the glasses off to rub his eyes, before sliding them back on and straightening them. He looked down at you, his eyes still dark and heavy, a soft, fond smile playing on his lips, "you look completely wrecked love, It's a very good look on you."
"Oh shut up," you laughed, burying your face in his neck to hide your flushed cheeks, "go get the food before the delivery guy leaves"
"Only if you promise not to move an inch from this exact spot" he said, giving your waist a gentle squeeze before you slid off his lap.
"I couldn't move even if I wanted to" you admitted honestly, "my knees are literal jelly"
Harryâs grin was absolutely triumphant as he stood up, adjusting his shirt. "That's what I like to hear", he turned and headed toward the door, throwing one last wink over his shoulder, the transparent frames catching the dim light of the hallway, "don't go anywhereâ
I made it pretty obvious that I like guys with glasses right? Also not surgery for my nose everything is right in place now lol
Okay so I saw the bull riding video, kinda late ik, and I have been reading @jacefiles modern au scenarios like a madman, so like a completely normal person would do I made a fic pls if anyone has done the same let me know so I can also give you credits!! Also my only cowboy knowledge is Brokeback mountain soo bear with me.
MATERIALIST
The dust in the barn always looks like floating gold when the late afternoon sun hits it just right. You find Jace exactly where you expected, leaning against the worn oak partition of his horseâs stall, a leather halter dangling from his hand. He is not working, not really. He is just staring out the open double doors toward the eastern ridge, where the borders of the Targaryen and Velaryon territory meet the Hightowersâ newly fenced pastures.
"You are going to burn a hole through that fence if you keep staring at it like that" you teasingly say, stepping into the cool shadow of the barn.
He does not startle. He just turns his head, a slow, lazy smile breaking across his handsome face. It is the kind of smile he reserves only for you, one that completely erases the hard, serious line of his jaw and makes him look like the boy he is when the weight of a massive ranching empire is not resting on his shoulders.
"Is that right? mhm?" Jace tosses the halter onto a nearby peg and steps toward you, his boots clicking softly against the concrete floor of the barn. He is wearing his favorite faded flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows to reveal forearms corded with muscle from years of hard labor. "Maybe I am just waiting for someone to come drag me away from my chores."
"I highly doubt your mother would approve of me enabling your laziness, property heir" you tease, stepping into his space.
Jace reaches out, his large, calloused hands finding your waist with practiced ease. He pulls you gently against him, the scent of leather, cedarwood, and clean sweat wrapping around you like a familiar blanket. "My mother knows I work harder than anyone else on this property. Besides, Aegon is probably passed out in a ditch somewhere near the county line and Aemond is busy playing corporate soldier. I think I have earned a break".
The rivalry between the two halves of the family has been suffocating lately. Since Viserys passed away, the corporate board meetings for the family conglomerate had devolved into a war of words. The Hightower faction was doing everything they could to delegitimize Rhaenyraâs claim to the presidency, and by extension, Jaceâs own future. They whispered in the town diners, in the livestock auction houses, and in the boardrooms in Houston, spitting that ugly, old rumor that Jace and his brothers did not have a drop of true Velaryon blood in them, pointing instead to the late Harwin Strong, the familyâs former head of security.
But looking into Jaceâs dark brown eyes, none of those boardroom battles matter. He leans down, taking off his hat and resting his forehead against yours, his breath warm against your lips. "Tell me you brought the horses, please" he murmurs in a pleading tone, his thumb tracing a slow circle against your hip.
"They are already saddled," you whisper back, leaning up to press a quick, sweet kiss to his lips. "Though I had to convince luke not to follow us. He wanted to show you some new rope trick he learned"
Jace chuckles, a low, rumbling sound in his chest. "I will deal with luke later. Right now, I just want you."
You lead the way out to the hitching post where your horse, a gentle buckskin mare, and Vermax (my poor baby) Jaceâs spirited dun gelding, are waiting patiently. Jace checks the cinches with a practiced eye, his movements smooth and confident. He has lived on horseback since he could walk a true product of the rugged town his grandfather built from the ground up.
"You look exceptionally beautiful today by the way," Jace says casually as he adjusts your stirrup leather. He looks up at you through his dark eyelashes, a playful glint in his eyes. "just thought you should know before we head out."
"Are you trying to use your sweet talk with me, Jacaerys?" you ask, climbing into the saddle.
"Always" he says, vaulting onto Vermax with effortless grace. He settles into the leather saddle, checking his reins. "but it also happens to be the harsh truth."
You shake your head, trying to hide the blush warming your cheeks, and urge your horse forward. Jace falls in beside you, his horse stepping out with a proud trot.
You ride past the primary paddocks and out toward the open range. The air is warm and thick with the scent of dry prairie grass and wild sage. The sky above is a vast, uninterrupted canopy of brilliant blue, typical of a summer afternoon.
"How are things really going with the family?" you ask quietly, keeping your eyes on the trail ahead. You know how much the pressure has been eating at him, even if he tries to hide it behind quick grins and sweet talk.
Jace sighs, his shoulders dropping a fraction. "Otto is trying to freeze our assets. He is claiming there is an ambiguity in my grandfatherâs will regarding the distribution of the northern acreage, the high country pastures. He wants to hand them over to aegon, even though he could not tell the difference between a Hereford and an Angus if his life depended on it."
"And your mom? How is she?" Rhaenyra had been like a second mother to you and watching the situation slowly consume them tore you apart.
"She is fighting..." Jace says, his voice hardening with a quiet pride. "...she will not let them steal her birthright. And neither will I. I spent all yesterday morning going over the land deeds from thirty years ago. There is no ambiguity dear. My grandfather wanted this ranch to remain whole, under her management. But Alicent is whispering in the ears of the local sheriff and the county commissioners. It is an absolute mess."
You reach across the space between your horses, offering him your hand. Jace takes it immediately, his grip strong and reassuring.
"They are also starting up the rumors again" he adds, his voice dropping to a low, bitter register as he murmured against your interlaced fingers. "they told me that Aemond had the nerve to make a comment at the livestock auction last tuesday. Said something about how strong the calves were looking this year, looking right at me while he said it. I almost jumped the fence to tear his head off."
Your heart aches for him. You know how deeply those whispers cut, even if he carries himself with the dignity of a king. "he is just trying to get under your skin jace. He knows you are twice the man, he will ever be. You dont need to prove your blood to anyone"
Jace looks at you, his expression softening dramatically. The tension leaves his jaw, replaced by a quiet gratitude. He raises your hand to his lips, kissing the back of your knuckles gently. "what did I do to deserve you?"
"You got very lucky," you tease, though your eyes are shining.
"The luckiest man alive," he agrees, letting go of your hand only to urge Vermax into a light lope. "Come on, last to reach the pond (? idk the word) pays dinner!"
"Not fair cheater!" you yell, squeezing your calves against your mareâs sides urging him to speed up.
The wind whips through your hair as the horses kick up dust behind them. The rhythm of the hooves beating against the earth is a comforting, steady song. You watch Jace ahead of you, his body moving in perfect synchronization with Vermax. He looks completely free out here, away from the corporate lawyers, the whispering townspeople, and the heavy mantle of his family name. He turns back to look at you, his laughter carrying over the rush of the wind, pure and untroubled.
You round the bend where the trail narrows, descending into a lush, shaded valley. The temperature drops instantly as you enter the canopy of ancient cypress and pecan trees. In here the dry heat of the open range is replaced by the cool, damp breath of the river.
The horses slow to a walk, their breathing heavy but relaxed. Ahead, the river gleams like a ribbon of silver. It is like a private oasis, tucked away in a deep bend of the property that few people ever visit. The water is deep, fed by a natural spring, and bordered by smooth, flat limestone rocks.
Jace dismounts first, tossing Vermaxâs reins over a low branch. He walks over to your horse, offering you his hands to help you down.
"Need some assistance, ma'am?" he asks, his voice dropping into a playful drawl.
"I think I can manage," you say, but you slide down into his arms anyway.
He catches you easily, holding you suspended against his chest for a second longer than necessary. His dark eyes trace the features of your face, full of a quiet intensity that always makes your breath hitch. "You could manage, mhm sure," he murmurs, his lips hovering just inches from yours. "but where is the fun in that?"
"You are incredibly distracting, you know that?"
"That is entirely the point my love" He kisses you then, a slow, deep, bruising kiss that tastes of sweet sun and wild air. His hands slide up your back, anchoring you to him as if he is trying to memorize the very shape of you. When he finally pulls back, his eyes are dark and heavy-lidded.
"Come on" Jace says, his voice a little husky. "lets get in the water before the sun starts to set"
He leads the horses down to a shaded spot where they can graze on the lush river grass, untacking them quickly. You watch him as he works, admiring the broad expanse of his shoulders and the easy confidence in his movements. Jace has always carried himself with a quiet authority, a trait he inherited from both his mother and the man who raised him, laenor. No matter what the Hightowers say, Jace is a Velaryon through and through, loyal to a fault, fiercely protective, and deeply tied to his land.
By the time he walks back to the waterâs edge, he has already kicked off his boots and shed his socks. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, his eyes never leaving yours.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to join me?" he asks, a slow, devastating smirk spreading across his lips as he tosses his shirt onto a flat rock.
"I am observing the local wildlife," you reply, crossing your arms with a grin.
Jace laughs, a bright, genuine sound. "Oh is that so? And what is your analysis of the local wildlife?"
"Highly unpredictable, mmm extremely cocky..." you say, kicking off your own boots. "...but overall, quite handsome."
"I'll take it" Jace says. He unbuckles his belt and steps out of his jeans, leaving him in just his dark boxer briefs. He wades into the cool water, his sun-bronzed skin contrasting beautifully with the clear green of the river. He shivers slightly as the water reaches his waist. "Damn, it is cold today."
"Man up, Velaryon" you tease, shedding your own outer layers and stepping onto the smooth stones at the waterâs edge. The cool water lapping at your ankles sends a pleasant shiver up your spine.
"Oh, is that a challenge?" Jace asks, his eyes flashing with mischief.
Before you can answer, he lunges forward, grabbing you around the waist and pulling you into the deep water with him. You scream with laughter as you plunge beneath the surface, the shocking cold of the river enveloping you both.
You surface gasping for air, shaking the water from your hair. "Jace! You jerk!" you scream slapping his chest playfully.
He rises up beside you, his dark hair slicked back from his face, water droplets clinging to his eyelashes and collarbones. He is laughing hysterically, his arms wrapping around you to pull you close against his chest. "I had to make sure you got the full experience"
"You are terrible" you say, though you are smiling so hard your cheeks hurt. You wrap your arms around his neck, letting your body float against his. The feeling of the water makes you feel weightless, and the cold is quickly forgotten as Jaceâs warmth radiates into you.
"I am the best thing that ever happened to you, and you know it" he whispers, his hands settling on your lower back. He guides you toward a shallower section of the pool, where a flat, submerged ledge allows you both to sit comfortably with the water reaching your chests.
The river is quiet, except for the gentle babble of the current and the occasional call of a mockingbird in the trees above. The dappled sunlight filters through the leaves, creating moving patterns of gold and shadow across Jaceâs face.
He reaches up, his thumb gently wiping away a stray droplet of water from your cheek. His playful demeanor softens into something incredibly tender. "but being completely serious now, I do not know what I would do out here without you. Lately, it feels like everyone is waiting for me to slip up. Aegon is just waiting to call me a fraud. Aemond wants to start a physical fight every time we cross paths, and the board... fucks sake, they look at me like I am some kind of charity case."
"Jace" you say softly as you took his face in your hands. His skin is cool from the water, but his eyes are burning with a quiet vulnerability. "you are not a fraud and you have worked this land since you were a boy. You know every acre, every cow, every stream....you belong here more than any of them."
He closes his eyes for a moment, leaning into the touch of your hands. "Sometimes I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. They have the banks on their side, god they even have the corporate lawyers"
"And you have the truth, You have the legacy, and you have me..." you say firmly. "we are going to fight them, Jace, If they want a war for this ranch, we will give them one, but they will not take what is yours"
Jace opens his eyes, a soft, beautiful smile gracing his lips. The heavy shadow of his doubts seems to lift, replaced by the fierce determination that makes him who he is. "You are too good for me" he whispers.
"I know" you say, a playful spark returning to your voice. "But I decided to keep you anyway"
He laughs, a low, contented sound and leans forward to press his lips to yours. This kiss is different, it is slow, lingering, and filled with a deep promise. His hands slide up your ribs, his touch sending a different kind of warmth through your veins. You part your lips letting him taste you fully, the gentle current of the river swirling around your bodies.
You shift closer, draping your legs over his lap as you sit on the submerged ledge. Jace groans softly against your mouth, his hands tightening on your waist, pulling you flush against his chest. The contrast between the cool water and the heat of his skin is intoxicating.
"I love you..." he murmurs against your neck, his lips tracing a path down to your collarbone. "...so much more than this ranch"
"I love you too Jace," you whisper, closing your eyes and losing yourself in the sensation of his hands, his lips, and the quiet security of his embrace.
For a long time, you stay like that, suspended in your own private world. The troubles of the Targaryen and Velaryon succession, the threats from the Hightowers, and the whispers of the town feel a million miles away. Here, in the shelter of the cypress trees and the cool embrace of the river, there is only Jace and you. As the sun begins to slide lower in the western sky, painting the clouds in shades of soft apricot and bruised purple. The light hitting the water turns the river into a shimmering sheet of amber, casting long, dramatic shadows across the limestone banks. You lean your head against Jaceâs shoulder, listening to the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. His arm is draped over your shoulders, keeping you anchored against him as the cool evening breeze begins to stir the leaves above.
"We should probably get back," Jace says softly, though he does not make any move to stand up. Instead, he pulls you a fraction closer, pressing a warm kiss into your wet hair. "If we are not back by dark, my mother is going to send a search party, and Daemon will never let me live down the fact that I got lost on our own land"
"daemon would probably join us just to drink a beer and complain about the weather" you laugh, tilting your head up to look at him.
"True enough" Jace admits, a genuine smile lighting up his face. He reluctantly shifts, helping you stand up from the submerged ledge. The cool air hits your wet skin, making you shiver instantly. Jace notices immediately and quickly guides you out of the water and back onto the smooth, warm limestone rocks.
He grabs his discarded flannel shirt and wraps it around your shoulders, the thick fabric still retaining his warmth. "There, better?"
"Much better" you say, pulling the collar tight around yourself, inhaling the rich scent of cedarwood, leather and him. "What about you?"
Jace just shrugs, his chest and shoulders gleaming in the fading sunlight. "I am fine. A little cold never hurt a real cowboy."
"Oh, please," you roll your eyes playfully, though your heart swells at the sight of him. He is so utterly handsome, so completely comfortable in his own skin when it is just the two of you.
Together, you gather your clothes, dressing quickly but lazily. Jace helps you pull on your boots, kneeling in the grass before you with a focused, gentle expression that makes you want to melt. When he finishes, he stands up and offers his hand, pulling you to your feet and right into his chest once more for a lingering, sweet kiss.
"Thank you," he whispers against your lips. "for today. I really needed this, needed you."
"Anytime cowboy" you reply, squeezing his hands.
He smiles, then turns to lead the horses over. Vermax nudges Jaceâs shoulder with his nose, demanding attention, and Jace obliges with a soft chuckle, scratching the horse behind the ears. He helps you mount your mare before swinging himself easily into his own saddle.
As you guide the horses back up the winding trail, leaving the river behind, the first stars begin to blink into existence in the darkening blue sky. The world is quiet, peaceful, and solid beneath your horsesâ hooves. Jace rides close beside you, his stirrup occasionally brushing against yours.
You look over at him, his profile silhouetted against the dying light of the sunset. He looks calm now, the heavy burden of his familyâs legacy finally resting easier on his young shoulders. He looks like a man ready to face whatever storms the Hightowers might bring to their borders. And as long as you are riding beside him, you know there is nothing you cannot face together.
The road ahead is long, filled with corporate disputes and family battles, but you both ride onward in silence, letting the quiet strength of the land wash over you. The cool air of the evening begins to take hold, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth from the valley behind. Every step your horses take brings you closer to the ranch house, where the bright porch lights are already twinkling in the distance like welcoming beacons.
Jace looks over at you, reaching out to clasp your hand one last time before you reach the main gates. His hand is warm, his grip firm and steady. "We are gonna make it" he says, more to himself than to you, but the conviction in his voice is undeniable. You nod, squeezing his hand in return, knowing that whatever tomorrow brings you will meet it side by side.
Luke was the first to spot you. He was perched on the top rail of the corral fence, lazily spinning a loop of lariat rope. When he saw the two of you ride in, his face lit up, and he hopped down jogging over to meet you.
"You guys took forever" Luke said, though there was no real heat in it. He looked up at Jace, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Mom was about to send daemon out on the ATV. He was already complaining about having to turn off the game"
"Tell him I saved him the trouble" Jace replied, his voice slipping effortlessly back into his protective, older brother tone, though his hand lingered on your thigh for a brief, reassuring second before he dismounted. He swung down from Vermax, his boots hitting the gravel with a solid thud. "And what about that new rope trick? Mhm? You better not have been practicing on the barn cats again."
"Ugh that was only once, and it was an accident by the wayâ Luke protested, laughing as he took Vermax's reins from Jace.Â
Despite strict orders from his publicist to stick to the script they arranged, Harry completely breaks character to choose his co-star over a lifetime supply of free chicken, leaving Amelia completely speechless.
MATERIALIST
The fluorescent lighting of Dallas Chicken & Ribs in North London was aggressively bright, humming with a low-voltage buzz that perfectly matched the awkward energy vibrating across the formica table.
Harry sat on a bright red plastic stool, looking hilariously out of place in a sharp, tailored jacket over a crisp white t-shirt. He was trying to maintain his best charming, media-trained posture, but his fingers were nervously tearing a paper napkin into tiny, neat shreds.
Amelia Dimoldenberg sat directly opposite him, completely motionless. She was wearing an oversized puffer jacket, staring dead into his soul with a face so entirely devoid of emotion it bordered on a psychological experiment. Between them sat a single, greasy cardboard box containing four chicken nuggets and two lukewarm portions of chips.
You were currently hiding behind camera two, crouched next to a stack of extra mayonnaise tubs. Sarah, your lead publicist was standing right beside you, tapping her foot with a rhythm that suggested she was on the verge of a cardiac event. "Keep him on script," she had whispered before the cameras rolled. "This is a comedy show. Do not let him turn it into a soft-launch"
Amelia slowly reached into the box, picked up a single chip, dipped it into a tiny tub of sweet chili sauce, and chewed with agonizing slowness.
"So," Amelia finally said, her deadpan British monotone cutting through the hum of the takeaway. "Harry."
"Amelia," Harry replied, offering his most award winning smile. "Lovely to be here."
"Don't do that," Amelia said flatly.
Harry blinked, his smile faltering slightly. "Do what?"
"The...thing with your face. The dimples. Itâs a lot." Amelia shifted her gaze down to her notes. "So youâre an actor, you play Jacaerys Velaryon in HBO, right?."
"I do, yeah."
âSo you ride dragons."
"Yes."
"Do you find that riding a dragon gives you a sense of power that you lack in your everyday life? For example... when youâre being managed by women."
Behind the camera, you snorted softly. Harryâs ears instantly turned a spectacular, unmistakable shade of deep pink. He let out a nervous chuckle, adjusting his collar. âI- uhâŚwell, I wouldn't say I'm managed by women" he let an awkward laugh escape. "I just have a very...efficient support system."
"You do a lot of romantic scenes."
"A fair few, I suppose."
"Do you find that pretending to be in love with people is easy, or are you just incredibly deceptive as a person?"
Harry let out a nervous, high-pitched chuckle, adjusting his collar as his ears instantly turned a faint shade of pink. "I wouldn't say deceptive Itâs just... you kind of build a connection with your scene partner. Itâs about trust honestly.â
"Trust mhm," Amelia repeated, her voice dripping with profound skepticism. "I've seen the bts footage from the official page"
"Oh, sweet mother of Jesus" Harry muttered, burying his face in his hands for a brief second before recovering. "Which footage?"
"The ones where you look like a Victorian orphan who has just been handed a warm bowl of soup whenever y/n enters the room." Amelia leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "The internet says youâre obsessed. Are you obsessed Collett?â
"Iâm not obsessed?" Harry protested, his voice cracking slightly as a massive, helpless grin broke through his defenses. He glanced instinctively toward your corner behind the camera, his eyes locking onto yours for a fraction of a second before he caught himself and looked back at Amelia. "We're just... we have a very close working relationship. We're the best of friendsâ
âMhm friends, yeah⌠Im gonna act like a believe thatâ Amelia said. She picked up a chicken nugget and pointed it at him like a weapon. "Iâve seen how you look at her in interviews. If a man doesn't look at me like heâs trying to memorize my facial structure for a marble bust, then I don't want him" Harry completely disintegrated in his chair, he threw his head back, letting out a mortified laugh. The crimson flush traveled all the way down his neck. âOh come onâ He groaned âIâm just a very expressive person, thats all, I literally act with my faceâ
"You're an expressive person for one specific individual," Amelia noted, entirely unfazed by his panic. She took a bite of the nugget, chewed, and slowly swallowed. "If in whatever circumstance you had to choose between y/n and a lifetime supply of free chicken, who are you choosing?"
Harry didn't even hesitate. A brilliant, incredibly wicked smirk took over his face, the exact look that usually signaled he was about to drive his PR team completely insane.
"The chicken is great, you know..." Harry murmured, his voice dropping into a low, completely sincere, and entirely unguarded register as he looked directly into the lens. "ButâŚwell, who am I gonna film the romantic scenes with thenâ Behind the camera, your publicist let out a low, physical groan and covered her face with her hands. You bit your lip, your heart doing a strange, fluttering flip in your chest as Harryâs smile softened, entirely giving up on the media-trained lie.
Amelia stared at him for three agonizing seconds of silence. Then, she looked directly into the main camera with an expression of utter, clinical disappointment.
"Well," Amelia said flatly. "That was incredibly sickening. This date is over."
"Can I keep the chips?" Harry asked hopefully.
"No," Amelia said, sliding the box away from him. "Go find your co-star Collettâ
-------------------
The heavy oak door of your flat clicked shut, sealing out the damp London evening and the lingering static of the studio lot. In your kitchen, the atmosphere was thick with the comforting, smell of garlic bread and cherry tomatoes bubbling away on the stove. You stood by the counter, quietly adding the rich sauce over a bowl of fresh pasta, finally relaxed. As Harry appeared into the warm light of the kitchen, having already shed his tailored jacket in the hallway. He was just in his soft white t-shirt, his dark curls slightly damp and uncombed. He closed the distance between you with slow, quiet steps, sliding his arms gently around your waist from behind.
He then leaned down, burying his face into the crook of your neck with a long, heavy sigh, releasing all the lingering tension of the media circus right out of him.
"I thought weâd never get back here," Harry murmured, his voice a low, muffled rumble against your skin. His hands rested flat against your stomach, his thumbs tracing slow, familiar circles through the fabric of your (his) shirt.
âI must ask... is pretending to be in love with me easy, or are you just an incredibly deceptive person?"
Harry buried his face in your neck, a helpless chuckle escaping him as his ears flared up to that brilliant shade of crimson all over again. "Oh dear god, please tell me youâre not going to quote the entire interview while we eat."
You leaned back into his chest giggling, letting the wooden spoon rest against the edge of the pot. A small, affectionate smile tugged at your lips. "You did great,â you said softly, giggling as you tilted your head slightly. "Even if you did completely terrify our publicist."
Harry let out a soft, boyish chuckle, his grip tightening just a fraction as he held you closer against him. "She was staring dead into my soul. I forgot the script within thirty seconds." He paused, his chin resting comfortably on your shoulder as he watched the steam rise from the pasta. "Did I really sound that unhinged when she asked about the chicken?"
"Well," you murmured, turning around in his embrace so you were facing him, completely forgetting the pasta behind you, your hands coming to rest flat against his chest. You looked up at him, a tiny, playful glint in your eyes. "You did basically tell millions of people that a lifetime supply of free food wasn't worth losing your favorite scene partner.â You said making air quotes with your fingers. âI think Sarah was praying for a sudden power outage, I literally saw her soul leave her body.â
Harryâs ears instantly flared with a faint, familiar shade of pink, but a soft, dimpled smile broke through his mock offense. "I was under immense pressure. The woman didn't blink love, not a single time in four minutesâ He sounded genuinely shocked.
"Mhm," you teased gently, your thumb brushing against the fabric of his shirt. "So it had nothing to do with the fact that you look like a Victorian orphan every time I walk on set?" Harry let out a quiet, breathless laugh, his head dropping into your neck for a second before he looked back down at you, his eyes incredibly soft, filled with a domestic warmth that belonged only to this flat and you two. He lifted one hand, his thumb gently smoothing over your cheekbone, his touch light and reverent.
"Alright, maybe a little bit" he whispered, his voice dropping into that private register he reserved just for you, entirely giving up the joke. "They can edit the interview however they want to make it funny. But there isn't a single situation in which I wouldn't choose this, cooking dinner with you... itâs literally only part of the day that does not feel scriptedâ
Your heart did a quiet, steady flip, the last bits of playfulness melting away into pure domesticity. You reached up, cupping the side of his jaw and caressing his freckled his cheek with your thumb. "I know," you murmured softly. "I would choose this too.â Harryâs smile softened into something breathtakingly sweet. He leaned down, closing the remaining inch between you to press a slow, deep kiss to your lips, one that tasted faintly of the sweet tomato sauce long forgotten in the stove and felt entirely like home. When he pulled back, his forehead lingered against yours for a quiet beat, his breathing synchronized with your own, a glint in his eyes showing all he didnât say.
"Right then..." Harry whispered, a tiny smirk returning to his lips as his hands slid down to rest on your hips. He leaned back just enough to look at you, his eyes softening with a playful shine. "Before the pasta gets completely cold... weâ kiss âshouldâ kiss âdevour itâ another kiss â...damn, almost revealing to the whole internet that we've been dating for over a year has me starving." You couldnât help but left a loud laugh escape your mouth. âIdiotâ you murmured.
I honestly did not know how to turn Amelias interview into something related to a reader but this is the best I could do, hope y'all enjoy it!!
Btw I just broke my nose today??? literally wtf??? and I can barely see the screen so im gonna upload a few drafts bc Idk if I am gonna need surgery :((
You showcase an engraved silver cardholder on Vogue, calling it a lucky charm from a dear friend. Your co-star, Harry, later shows the matching custom wallet with the exact same interlocking floral design.
MATERIALIST
Promotion was no longer about surviving a rapid fire battery of local news anchors asking the same three questions now it was about generating curated digital content designed to achieve cross-platform virality. That was how you found yourself sitting on a plush velvet sofa in a beautifully staged, sun-drenched studio in East London, shooting a solo episode of British Vogueâs iconic âIn The Bagâ series.
It was an exercise in calculated intimacy, engineered to feel entirely spontaneous while in reality it was thoroughly vetted, timed, and monitored by a small army of publicists hovering just outside the cameraâs frame. Every item placed on the pristine marble coffee table had been chosen to project a specific persona, intellectual but accessible, stylish but effortless.
Until that moment, everything had been going exactly according to your publicistâs carefully curated, perfectly sanitized plan. You had already gracefully pulled out your favorite luxury lip balm (accompanied by a brief storytime about how it was the only thing that saved your lips during night shoots in Scotland), a heavily annotated copy of 'The Song of Achilles' (sorry I couldn't help it) you claimed to be re-reading for "inspiration," and a thrifted pair of vintage sunglasses. You explained the backstory of each item with a practiced, media-trained charm, navigating the interview with the precise level of warmth that kept audiences feeling included while keeping your actual private life firmly behind locked doors. You were doing a flawless performance of yourself. Then, your fingers brushed against something small and metallic resting at the very bottom of the bagâs silk lining, hidden beneath a stray pack of gum and a handful of loose hair ties.
Without entirely thinking about the consequences, your muscle memory took over. Your fingers closed around the familiar, cool contours of the object, and you fished it out before your internal censor could flag the risk.
You placed it gently onto the marble coffee table, the metallic clink echoing slightly in the quiet studio as the close-up B-roll lens immediately adjusted its focus to capture the detail. It was a crafted, vintage-style silver cardholder. The sterling silver was slightly tarnished around the hinges from daily use, giving it a beautifully lived-in character that contrasted sharply with the rest of the items currently in the table. A highly detailed, custom floral engraving entirely covered the front, swirling in delicate patterns that caught the studio lights. If one looked closely enough, the vines spiraled around two subtly interlocking, abstract initials integrated into the woodwork.
âAnd then I have this,â you said, a soft, incredibly fond smile slipping past your carefully constructed media guard before you could consciously catch and suppress it. You traced the cool lines of the engraving with your thumb, your eyes softening in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with standard brand promotion or the professional charisma you had deployed seconds earlier. âItâs a custom silver cardholder. A very dear friend gave it to me about a year ago, right before we started filming the new season, and itâs just become my little lucky charm. I never leave the house without it. It holds my life together, basically.â
The off-camera interviewer, tracking the palpable shift in your demeanor, cooed appreciatively. âItâs absolutely stunning. Is there a specific story behind that beautiful gift?â
You blinked, a sudden prickle of heat hitting the back of your neck as your media training kicked back into gear. You realized you were lingering a bit too long on the sentimentality of the object, and that the publicist in the shadows was likely checking her watch. Quickly pulling your hand back from the table, you offered a smooth and practiced deflective laugh. âOh, it's just a local artisan in London, I believe,â you lied smoothly, your voice regaining its bright, professional cadence. âIt was just a lovely bit of craftsmanship. Iâm quite a sucker for small businessâ You quickly pivoted, reaching back into the bag for item number seven, a travel-sized bottle of perfume and finished the remaining ten minutes of the shoot without another hitch. When you left the studio that afternoon, you felt entirely confident that you had kept the details perfectly vague, safely wrapped in the anonymous, completely unassailable blanket of "a dear friend."
Exactly three weeks later, the sequel to your video dropped on British Vogueâs YouTube channel. Because the magazineâs digital marketing team loved capitalizing on the cast's onscreen chemistry to drive engagement, Harry had been booked to shoot his own âIn The Bagâ segment in the exact same East London studio, sitting on the exact same plush velvet sofa, staring into the exact same cameras.
You happened to watch the video from your own couch on a quiet Thursday afternoon, nothing like supporting your coworker (no one believes you girl). It was a rainy day, and you were wrapped in a blanket with a hot cup of tea in hand, entirely unprepared for the absolute, spectacular demolition of your privacy that was about to occur on screen. Harry was effortlessly charming from the opening frame. He joked easily with the audio technicians and began pulling out an assortment of thoroughly uncurated items, a tangled pair of old wired headphones you wouldn't catch him with a pair of big headphones outside a dj table, a heavily wrinkled shooting script with coffee stains on the cover, and a massive ring of keys.
But at the exact five minute mark, the casual trajectory of the interview broke. Harry reached deep into the small front pocket of his bag, his hand searching for something specific. He pulled out a small, pal-sized object and set it down onto the marble table with the exact same definitive clink your cardholder had made twenty one days prior. Your breath caught completely in your throat. Your tea was instantly forgotten, the mug resting precariously on your knee as you leaned closer to the screen "Oh fuck" you murmured.
It was a custom leather wallet, beautifully crafted from a rich, deep mahogany hide that had darkened and patinated with age. But it wasnât just a standard piece of leather goods, no. Stitched seamlessly into the bottom right corner of the wallet was a sterling-silver accent piece. It featured the exact same intricate, swirling floral engraving as your cardholder.
The pattern was identical, same delicate baroque vine work, clearly done by the exact same hand. Even through a laptop screen, it was blindingly obvious that if the two pieces were placed side-by-side, the abstract metal initials on his wallet would flawlessly mirror and complete the interlocking pattern on your silver case. It was, without a single shadow of a doubt, the matching half of a highly specific, custom set.
âThis is my wallet,â Harry said to the camera. His tone was entirely casual, but you noticed the subtle tell, his index finger was nervously tapping against the edge of the table in a rapid, rhythmic pattern you knew meant he was holding back a secret or trying to steady his nerves. âI actually got it about a year ago. Itâs custom made by this brilliant little boutique in Soho. Iâm quite sentimental about it, actually. It just... keeps me grounded, I suppose, when we're traveling so much for press and I miss home...â
The interviewer, possessing a razor-sharp memory and clearly recalling your video from prior, paused the momentum of the interview entirely. The off-camera voice returned, sharp with immediate recognition. âThat engraving looks incredibly familiar, Harry. In fact, it looks almost identical to a piece we saw on this very table recently. Does it match y/n cardholder by chance?â
On screen, Harry froze for a fraction of a second, he knew he messed up. It was a micro-expression, clenching his jaw, a sudden stillness in his shoulders, before his eyes darted instinctively off-camera toward his publicist in a sudden, visible wave of absolute panic.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, trying to process how a routine fashion segment had suddenly turned into an interrogation. Then, he forced a loud defensive laugh that fooled absolutely no one who had watched him act for four years. âOh, really? Wow. Small world, isn't it?â he said, his voice a pitch higher than normal as he rubbed the back of his neck. âLondonâs a massive city, but I suppose good design travels fast. Must just be a popular place around here maybe?.â There was no way he was getting out of this one.
He might as well have confessed to a secret relationship on national television. The internet didnât just notice the glaring similarity between the two items, they launched a full-scale, digital investigation within minutes of the video going live on YouTube. The fandom, armed with high-definition screenshots treated the two Vogue videos like pieces of classified evidence of a murder.
By Friday morning, only twenty four hours after the video dropped, the speculation had completely bypassed the boundaries of standard celebrity shipping. It had become a masterclass in digital forensics.
A viral thread on twitter analysed both videos in a matter of hours. The opening post contained side-by-side, high definition screenshots of your silver cardholder and Harryâs leather wallet, zoomed in to the maximum resolution. Further down the thread, an online graphic designer had taken the two images, isolated the metal engravings, stripped away the background textures of tthe leather and silver, and digitally aligned them on screen in a looping clip.
The animation demonstrated how the abstract, swirling lines of the floral borders easily interlocked, and how the negative space between the two patterns formed your first initial and his. It was undeniable proof that the two pieces were made together from a single piece of silver.
But the final blow, the absolute, undeniable gun that made any future PR denials completely useless came from a dumb TikTok. A fan who happened to collect independent British heritage goods managed to identify the highly specific style of the floral engraving. They recognized it as a signature technique of a tiny, fiercely private silversmith and leather boutique hidden away in the labyrinth of cobblestone back alleys in Soho. It was a shop with no website and a reputation for working strictly by appointment for local clientele.
Three days after Harryâs video aired, the elderly artisan himself, thoroughly bewildered by a sudden influx of thousands of digital notifications, emails, and direct messages, posted a video on his boutiqueâs official TikTok account. The video was unedited and raw, filmed by his apprentice. The old artisan stood in his workshop, surrounded by the rich scents of tanned leather, polishing oil, and old wood. Heavy magnification glasses were pushed up onto his wrinkled forehead, and he addressed the camera with a warm grandfatherly smile, entirely unaware of the internet culture storm he was about to seal shut.
âHello to the lovely internet community that has been messaging my shop over the weekend,â the old artisan said, gesturing to his cluttered workbench behind him. âYes, I can confirm that I hand-engraved those two specific pieces. About a year ago, a lovely man actor came into my shop entirely by himself. He spent nearly three hours with me right here at this bench, sketching out a blueprint for interlocking initials because he told me he wanted a specific, deeply private gift for his costar before they went away to film on location for months. He was very particular about the silver matching perfectly. I had no idea they would end up on Vogue!â
The artisanâs video gained five million views overnight, acting as the definitive confirmation the internet had been waiting for. Your personal phone became an unreadable, lagging blur of haptic vibrations. The group chat with your fellow castmates was a chaotic stream of capital letters, inside jokes, and screenshots of the viral metrics.
Simultaneously, your inbox was filling up with frantic, flagged emails from your management team and publicists, who were currently trying to draft a strategy for a situation that had completely evolved past their control.
The narrative was no longer owned by the studio or the PR firm. It belonged entirely to the internet.
The top comment on the official British Vogue YouTube video, pinned by the channelâs editors to maximize their engagement, captured the exposed reality of the situation perfectly.
âThey really thought they were being slick. She called it a âlucky charm from a dear friendâ and he called it a âsentimental boutique find,â but they are literally carrying around interlocking pieces of each otherâs initials in their pockets every single day. Harry went to Soho, sat with an elderly silversmith for three hours, and designed a piece of his own heart to keep in her bag so she'd never feel alone on set. I am actually crying in a grocery store right now. Amazing way of showing me what I'll never have thank you Harry Collettâ
Appearing on Brittany's youtube show The Royal Court, Harry cracks under pressure when confronted with a blurry, late-night paparazzi photo of the two of you at a diner.
MATERIALIST
The studio set for The Royal Court was an absolute masterpiece of a medieval court meeting the internet. Plush velvet thrones sat awkwardly beside modern studio lighting, cardboard shields hung precariously on the walls, and the entire room smelled faintly of the high-end catering pastries Brittany had been aggressively eating during the sound check.
As the digital series' reigning monarch, Brittany was in her absolute element. Wearing a massive, heavily jeweled plastic crown tilted slightly to the left, a velvet robe, and a pair of fuzzy slippers, she sat atop her central throne. Tonight, she had a single guest captured in her sight.
Harry sat in the lone hot seat beside her. He was doing a solo promotional run for the new season, and your publicists had explicitly warned him before he walked on set.
âOkay, Brittany is a wild card. She is the internet personified, literally. Harry, If you give her a single crumb of the romance rumors, she will build a thirty minute commentary video out of it, and believe me she will.â
For the first half of the episode, Harry was doing surprisingly well. He looked effortlessly charming in a relaxed linen shirt, playing along with the medieval bit by pretending to be a low-born squire answering to his queen.
Then it came, Harryâs doom, Brittany leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her heavy plastic rings clinking together as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Alright, look," Brittany said, her recognizable Texas drawl cutting entirely through the playful bit. She gestured towards him with a heavy jeweled scepter. "Weâve done the courtly jests. Weâve talked about the boring swords and the dragons. But I need to talk about the little game happening in this room right now."
Harry blinked, his polite, public-facing smile freezing instantly. âLittle game, Your Grace?"
"Don't 'Your Grace' me, Collett, I see right through the velvet," Brittany declared, slamming the scepter down onto the arm of her throne with a dramatic thud. "I am a woman of the internet. I have read the scrolls. I have seen edits.â She mentioned pointing at him with her finger. âAnd I am currently sitting five feet away from a man who is radiating the kind of unspoken guilty energy that usually precedes a civilian uprising."
The studio crew behind the cameras let out a collective, muffled laugh. Harry shifted slightly in his seat, trying to maintain his composure.
"Brittany, I promise the rumors aren't true," Harry tried, offering a perfectly rehearsed, media-trained smile. âShe and Iâve worked together for three years now, very very close friends, so of course our chemistry on screen is jus--"
"Sir. Sir." Brittany cut him off completely, throwing her hands up in the air, her crown slipping slightly over her eyebrow. She looked directly into the main camera lens, her face twisted into a look of pure disbelief. "Do you hear this? Camera three, get a close-up of my face.â She deadpans. âHe thinks Iâm a fool. He thinks the Court is blind." She mentions pausing between every word.
Turning her attention entirely back to Harry, Brittany leaned back in her throne, crossing her legs. She didn't say a word as she picked up a large, ornate tablet that had been hidden beneath her velvet robes.
"Harry, Harry⌠If you are just 'very, very close friends,' explain this piece of royal evidence recently intercepted by one of the kingdomâs scouts"
Brittany spun the tablet around. Displayed on the screen was a slightly blurry photo taken at a tiny, late-night diner down by Harryâs old flat at four in the morning. The lighting was dim, the streets outside completely dead, but the subjects in the booth were clear as day. It was you and Harry. You were wearing his oversized, very wrinkled hoodie, completely laughing at something he'd said, while Harry was leaning entirely across the laminate table, his hand warmly and securely cupping your cheek as he smiled back at you. There were plates of half-eaten takeaway pastries between you. It was a scene of pure and undeniable domesticity.
Harry completely disintegrated.
He buried his face entirely into his hands, his shoulders shaking with helpless, mortified laughter as a spectacular, unmistakable shade of deep crimson flush traveled all the way down his neck. "Oh my god," he groaned into his palms, his voice muffled. "Where did you even get that? It was four in the morning. There was literally no one else in the diner" He mentioned with wide eyes, not believing what he was seeing.
"AHA!" Brittany shrieked, jumping up from her throne, her velvet robe billowing behind her as she pointed her scepter wildly at Harry like a judge closing a case. "THE SQUIRE HAS CRACKED! HE ADMITTED THE DINER IS REAL! LOOK AT THE HAND, THE HAND COLLETT! CAMERA THREE, ZOOM IN ON THE HAND POSITIONING! That is not very âcoworkerâ of you Harold huh?!â
Harry dropped his hands, his face completely flushed and his eyes shining with a mixture of sheer panic and intense amusement. He realized he had just entirely bypassed two years of strict PR training with a single, unguarded sigh. He let out a breathless laugh, throwing his hands up in total surrender.
"Alright, fine! Yes! We went to diner!" Harry protested, his voice cracking slightly as a massive, defeated grin broke across his face. "We were hungry, the streets were empty, and I wanted to take her out like a normal person! Are you happy, Your Grace? Is the court happy now?â
Brittany froze mid-stride. She slowly lowered her scepter, her jaw dropping as she stared at him. For the first time in the entire shoot, the loud, boisterous Internet Mom was completely struck dumb by the sheer honesty of the confession.
She slowly walked back to her throne, sat down and adjusted her crown with a trembling hand, she looked dead into the camera lens with an expression of profound, spiritual climax.
"My fellow peasants," Brittany whispered into her lapel microphone, her voice trembling with theatrical reverence. "We did it. We broke him. The public relations department is currently on fire in the hall, but the Royal Court has delivered justice. Put it in the edit. Print the scrolls. The date is indeed canonâ
The studio was completely dead for a beat, the crew behind the cameras staring in a mix of pure shock and hysterical entertainment before the director finally yelled, "And... cut!"
The heavy silence instantly shattered. Harry slumped forward in his throne, burying his face back in his hands as a long, theatrical groan escaped him. "Oh my god. My publicist is going to behead e in the courtyard. Iâm going to be exiled to the colonies."
"Exiled?!" Brittany shouted, ripping her heavy plastic crown off her head and tossing it onto the velvet cushions of her throne. She scrambled down the steps of the stage, her fuzzy slippers clicking frantically against the studio floor until she was standing directly over him. "Harry. Look at me. Look into my eyes. You just gave the internet the holy grail. Do you know what the edits are going to look like tomorrow? Theyâre going to put medieval court music over your face turning into a tomatoâ
Harry finally looked up, his cheeks still fiercely pink, a sheepish but entirely content grin breaking through his panic. "I didn't mean to blurt it out! Itâs just... there was a fucking photo. We really thought we were the only ones awake in London at that hour. What the fuckâ
"The internet notices everything, darling," Brittany said, her voice dropping from her loud internet persona into a tone of pure calmness. She clapped a hand onto his shoulder, shaking him slightly. "But for real, I am so incredibly happy for you two. The entire fandom is about to throw a festival in the town square. Weâve been fighting in the trenches for two years defending the 'platonic chemistry,' and you just ended the warâ
Before Harry could answer, the heavy double doors at the back of the soundstage swung open with a violent thud.
Sarah, his poor publicist, marched down the dark corridor of the studio, her phone clutched in her hand like a weapon. The expression on her face was a terrifying cross between utter exhaustion and professional calculation. The studio crew instinctively parted for her like the Red Sea.
"Harry," Sarah said, her voice dangerously calm as she stopped at the edge of the stage. "I have exactly four minutes before the network calls me to ask why our kid just admitted to a full romantic relationship on a digital comedy show. Do you want to perhaps, explain yourself? Mhm?â
Harry rose from his throne, offering her his most winning, boyish smile, the one that usually got him out of trouble on set. "Sarah. It was a tactical confession. Brittany had the evidence. She had a fucking photo, a photo Sarah, it was unblockable."
"The photo was blurry Harry, you could have claimed it was a trick of the light or a very intensive rehearsal!" Sarah sighed, though she couldn't completely hide the small, defeated smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She tapped her phone screen. "The producers are already asking if they can keep the confession in the final cut. They say the engagement metrics are going to be amazingâ
Harryâs expression softened, the playful defense melting away into something much more sincere. He looked from Sarah back to Brittany, stepping down from the stage.
"Keep it in," Harry said quietly, his voice steady and completely unbothered by the corporate panic. "We've been hiding it for months, sneaking around London and sitting five feet apart at panels. If the world finds out because I couldn't deny how happy I looked holding her face at a diner... well, itâs a better story than a boring press release anyway."
Brittany let out a dramatic, breathless gasp, clutching her chest. "Oh, stop it. Stop being a romantic squire, my heart cannot take it"
Sarah stared at him for a long moment, finally letting out a massive, heavy sigh that signaled her total surrender. "Fine. We keep it in. But you are calling them right now to explain why their notifications are about to explode. And Harry?"
Harry paused, looking back at her. "Yeah?"
"Next time you want to take her out for midnight pastries," Sarah warned, pointing a accusatory finger at him, "sit on the same side of the booth so the paparazzi can't get both of your faces in the frame."
As Harry walked off the set toward the dressing rooms, already pulling out his phone to call you and confess his absolute failure at media training, Brittany looked back at the main camera lens one last time, raising her scepter in a final, triumphant salute.
"Long live the diner date," she whispered.
The second Harry cleared the soundstage doors and made it to the quiet, dimly lit concrete corridor of the studio lot, he didnât even wait to reach his dressing room. He pulled his phone from his pocket, his fingers flying across the screen as he hit your contact.
He didn't even give you a chance to say hello when you picked up.
"Right, so before you check literally any corner of the internet, pleaseâŚ,â Harry rushed out, his voice a breathless, high-pitched tumble of words as he paced the length of the hallway, "I need to explicitly state that I was under extreme, medieval-grade psychological torture.â
On the other end of the line, you paused, the distant sound of your own trailer's coffee maker humming in the background. "Harry... what did you do?"
Harry closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the cool concrete wall, a helpless, incredibly sheepish smile taking over his face. "You know how Sarah told me to keep my guard up because Brittany Broski was a tactical mastermind?"
"Yes..."
"Right. Well. She had a damn photo," Harry confessed, rubbing the back of his neck as his ears flared up to that familiar crimson shade all over again. "The one from our date, four in the morning down by the flat. The one where I looked like a completely besotted idiot while we ate those stale croissants."
You let out a stunned, breathless laugh on the other end of the line. "Harry, noâ You rubbed your temple. âPlease tell me you lied like a criminalâ
âLie? Y/n I completely disintegrated," he groaned, throwing his head back and looking up at the studio rafters. "I buried my face in my hands, I turned the color of a fire engine, and then...â He groaned âthen, because I entirely forgot how to fucking lie, I- I just told her I wanted to take you out like a normal person. I basically looked dead into the lens and handed the kingdom the keys to our castle."
"Oh my god," you gasped, your laughter bubbling through the line, completely unbothered by the sheer corporate catastrophe of it all. "Sarah is going to murder you. We are dead. Our PR team is currently organizing a hunt party⌠Actualy I hear them knocking at my door.â You teased him.
âOh stop it, Sarah already found me," Harry murmured, his tone dropping from frantic panic into that low, incredibly soft register he usually reserved for when the cameras were completely off. He finally stopped pacing, his chest rising and falling as a massive wave of pure relief washed over him. "But... we're keeping it in the edit. I told her that we were done hiding. I told her I'm tired of sitting five feet apart from you on panels."
The line went quiet for a heartbeat, the casual, easy warmth of your shared reality settling over the phone.
"You really told her that?" you asked softly.
"Word for word," Harry said, his voice steady, a brilliant, proud grin breaking across his face in the quiet corridor. "So... prepare your notifications. Within about forty eight hours or so, the entire internet is going to know that you are officially stuck with me and my horrendous taste in midnight cravings.â
"I think I can live with that," you teased, a soft smile evident in your voice. "Just make sure you buy the next round of croissants, squire."
"Consider it done, your graceâ Harry chuckled, finally walking toward his dressing room door, entirely ready to face the beautiful, viral chaos heading your way.
Twenty-four hours after Harry confirms your relationship by posting a sweet photo carousel on Instagram, the official House of the Dragon page posts a compilation video of you two.
MATERIALIST
The notification on your phone chimes at 9:00 AM, but you ignore it, burying your face deeper into Harryâs chest. He hums, his arm tightening around your waist, pulling you closer into the warmth of the duvet.
It has been exactly twenty-four hours since Harry finally hit "post" on his account, effectively breaking the internet. After months of dodging paparazzi, sneaking out of back exits, and speaking in carefully constructed riddles during press junkets for House of the Dragon, the truth was out.
The confirmation hadnât come from a sterile publicist statement, but from a carousel of photos on Harryâs account. The first slide was a blurry, candid photo of you two laughing at a diner at 3:00 AM, the second was a gorgeous shot of you looking out over the sea and the last was a mirror selfie of the two of you in matching oversized sweaters, his chin resting on your shoulder. His caption had been simple and sweet, undeniably his:
"My favorite part of every day. Finally getting to share it with everyone"
Your phone chirps again. Then twice more in rapid succession. You groaned at the sound.
"If that is your agent telling us we have to do an emergency live stream to address the chaos, I am throwing the phone out the window," Harry mumbles, his voice thick with sleep, his British accent heavier than usual in the mornings.
"Ugh, It's probably just my mom," you murmur, reaching blindly for the nightstand.
It wasn't your mom. Itâs a text from Beth in the group chat, consisting entirely of capital letters and a link. Underneath it, a notification from Instagram reads:Â @houseofthedragon posted a video tagging you.
Intrigued, you sit up, dragging the blanket with you. Harry blinks open his eyes, "huh?" squinting against the morning light as you prop the phone between you both and hit play.
The video opens with the familiar, dramatic House of the Dragon intro music, but itâs quickly replaced by a soft acoustic track. The text across the screen reads: âWe knew it before you did.... hereâs what weâve been keeping in the vault. Congratulations to our favorite slowburn.â
The first clip cuts in. Itâs shaky, clearly shot on a B-cam during a break on the soundstage in Wales. You are sitting in a folding chair, dressed in your elaborate Targaryen regalia, looking exhausted. Harry is standing over you, still wearing his heavy, ornate armor. He is focusing intently on the intricate silver clasps of your cloak, his long fingers working gently to loosen the heavy fabric from where itâs pinching your shoulder.
You look up at him in the clip, saying something that makes him laugh an honest, crinkly-eyed laugh that he usually hides from the cameras.
From behind the camera, you hear the muffled, recognizable voice of one of the key grips. "Look at them. Heâs been standing there for ten minutes fixing that cloak. Itâs not even broken." Another crew member giggles off the screen. "He just wanted an excuse to be close to her. Donât ruin it."
In the bed next to you, Harry lets out a soft groan, covering his face with his hands. "Oh, god. They filmed that? The Betrayal... unbelievable"
"Shh, listen," you laugh, nudging him with your elbow as the video cuts to the next scene.
The second clip cuts in, and this one is from a midnight shoot out in the muddy, torch-lit backlot. Itâs freezing cold and a light drizzle is falling. You are standing off to the side of the cameras, holding a script and trying to memorize a last minute dialogue change. You are so focused that you donât notice Harry walking up behind you with two paper cups.
Without interrupting your focus, he gently presses one of the warm cups against your bare cold cheek. In the video, you jump slightly, then look up and melt when you see itâs him. He hands you the hot tea, and you immediately use both hands to wrap around the warmth of the cup. As you go back to reading your lines aloud, Harry just stands there, holding his own tea, looking down at you with a soft, entirely captivated expression, completely ignoring the rain getting on his costume.
The sound of the boom mic operator echoes clearly over the track, whispering to a nearby camera assistant. "Hey, look at Harry. Heâs been standing in the rain for five minutes just watching y/n read lines. He looks like a little puppy. Aww"
The assistant snickers. "Man's got it bad. He literally ran to the catering truck to get that specific tea the second they called the ten minute break."
You look over at Harry sitting beside you. The tips of his ears are bright red, a soft, embarrassed smile playing on his lips. "I was just being a supportive and caring coworker," he protests weakly.
"Mhm, you were so attentive..." you tease, leaning down to kiss his cheek.
The final clip of the montage cuts in, and the lo-fi background music suddenly cuts out, replaced by a comical record scratch sound.
Itâs an official, high-definition blooper from a dramatic scene you and Harry were filming together. In the clip, the two of you are standing close, trading an intense, important dialogue. The tension is palpable. Harry delivers a deeply serious, dramatic line, his face a mask of intensity, until a loud, violent rumble echoes through the quiet studio.
It was your stomach. It roars so loudly that it picks up perfectly on the boom mic.
In the video, Harryâs intense expression immediately shatters. He cracks a massive smile, drops his regal posture and reaches into the heavy folds of his costume. With absolute seriousness, he pulls out a half-crushed package of snack crackers heâd been hiding in his pocket and hands them to you without a word.
The audio catches the director laughing over the megaphone. "Cut! Harry, are you smuggling contraband on my set?"
Harry looks directly at the camera, deadpan, while you frantically rip open the crackers in the background. "The talent was starving, sir. Iâm a hero."
The video fades to black with the simple logo.
You burst out laughing, locking your phone as the screen goes dark, and turn to look at Harry. The initial embarrassment has faded from his face, replaced by that familiar, warm expression heâs worn since the day you realized you were falling for him.
"Well, well" Harry says softly, reaching out to pull you closer by your waist. "At least your gorgeous face in my Instagram carousel prepared the world for the fact that I am, indeed, a savior of the starved."
You laugh, leaning into his chest as he pulls the blanket back over the both of you. "Lucky me, now the whole world just knows you're a massive softie who carries snacks for me."
"mhm" he murmurs against your hair, kissing the top of your head. "only for you."
I do not know which interviews do for the rest of the series, pls give me recs!!
