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all-the-things-2020 · 1 year ago

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Late Night Talking

A Dieter Bravo x OFC fic

Notes: Title comes from the Harry Styles song. I heard it on the radio one day and the line “Now you’re in my life, I can’t get you off my mind” just screamed Dieter to me.

My Dieter is (mostly) sober and trying to put his life and career back together after hitting the bottom during the filming of Cliff Beasts 6. He is still a menace but he’s working on it. There will be comedy, angst, fluff and possibly some smut (not sure how explicit my narrator will get).

Narrator is an original female character loosely based on myself. She is around Dieter’s age, not thin, and introverted. He turns her life upside down and she’s not quite prepared for it.

Tagging @rhoorl because her Dieter in “Working Title” inspired me to start this fic!

Chapter One below the cut

I met him in a bookshop, of all places. Not exactly the environment you’d expect, but sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. Bookshops are one of the few places I frequented where it’s even remotely possible to meet a man. I’ve never liked bars or clubs; too noisy, too many creeps trying to be charming and getting too hands. As an introvert, I prefer quieter surroundings, like bookshops, museums, and botanical gardens. Not exactly hot spots for single guys, but I wasn’t trying to meet anyone. I was always open to whatever might happen, though.

I was in The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. It was the first day of my summer break and I’d challenged myself to get out of my box a little and do things I’d never done before. I’d taken the train into the city, which I’d never done by myself. Of course, once I got into L.A., I ended up in my preferred habitat, surrounded by books.

I had spotted a book on my to-be-read list on the top shelf. Being petite (the polite way of saying I was short), I couldn’t quite reach it. I was debating whether the shelves were structurally sound enough for me to try standing on the bottom shelf to reach it when I heard a low, warm voice behind me say, “Let me.”

An arm reached up, easily plucking the book off the shelf and handing it to me. “Good choice,” the voice said. “That’s one of my favorites.”

I knew that voice. Turning to see the man who stood next to me, my suspicions were confirmed. It was Dieter Bravo. He was wearing a baggy gray t-shirt, a well-worn pair of jeans and some god-awful Crocs that had seen better days. His hair looked like he’d forgotten to comb it that morning and his scruffy beard and mustache could use a trim. But he was wearing glasses and his deep brown eyes were looking directly into mine, so that was all I saw.

“Thanks,” I managed to say, hoping I wasn’t blushing or anything ridiculous like that.

“No worries,” he said with a smile. He indicated the small stack of books in my hands with his chin. “You’ve got good taste.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” I said. Real smooth, doofus, I told myself. I tried to start over. “I read a ton of YA for work, so I’m trying to read more ‘grown-up’ stuff during the summer.”

He leaned against the bookshelf, his broad shoulders blocking the aisle. “YA?,” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Young Adult,” I explained. “I work in a high school library. A lot of it is really good, but after nine or ten months of dystopian love triangles and hot werewolves and teenagers with weird diseases falling in love, I find myself craving something more substantial.”

He smiled again. “I can imagine,” he said. “So, a librarian, huh? Oh, I’m Dieter, by the way.” He held out his hand and I shook it. It was huge and warm and made my knees melt.

“Um, yeah, I know,” I stammered. “I recognized you. I’m, ha, a big fan of your work.” I felt like a complete idiot as I stumbled over my words. “I’m Emily.”

“Well, Emily, this might be a dumb question, considering your line of work, but do you come here often?” He chuckled as he seemed to realize how cliched his questions was.

“Actually, this is my first time here,” I said. “I’ve always wanted to visit this shop, I never got around to it. I live out in the boondocks, so I don’t get into L.A. very often.”

“It’s great,” he said. “I don’t get here very often, though. Always too busy, it seems.”

We chatted for a bit, about the books we were buying, and favorites we’d both read (and made a few recommendations to each other when we mentioned titles the other hadn’t read). Then the conversation turned back to bookshops.

“I usually end up at Barnes & Noble,” I admitted. “There’s a good indie bookseller in Riverside, but it’s kind of small. My absolute favorite bookshop is Vroman’s in Pasadena. I don’t get there as often as I’d like, though.”

“Vroman’s,” he said, wrinkling his forehead. “I think I’ve heard of it but I’ve never been there.”

“Oh, you should go!” I said. I loved talking about my favorite bookshop and started rattling on. “They have all kinds of great stuff besides books. Plus a wine bar.”

“Whoa, books and booze? Sign me up.” He smiled that radiant smile I’d seen in a million photos, the one that always made me feel funny inside.

“Then you should definitely go.”

“Is that an invitation?”

I was stunned, but managed to speak without stumbling too much over the words. “Sure, why not?” Holy crap, he’s flirting with me!

Dieter pulled out his phone. “Let’s see,” he said, scrolling through the phone. “Um, I’m free Friday evening. I have a meeting at two, but I should be out of there by four at the latest. It’s in Burbank, I can probably make it to Pasadena by five, if that works for you?”

My tongue felt like it was swollen to twice its normal size. Was he actually asking me out? Or had I accidentally asked him? “Um, yeah,” I stammered. “Friday’s good, yeah.”

“Okay, then.” He tapped away at his phone and then slipped it back into his pocket. “It’s a date. Friday, five o’clock, Vroman’s.” He winked and now I knew I was blushing like a fool. He glanced at his wristwatch. “I have a meeting with my agent in an hour, so I’d better go pay for these and get going.” He pulled his phone back out and opened up the Contacts app. “Here,” he said, handing the phone to me. “Put in your number.”

I did and handed the phone back to him. He put it back in his pocket (oh, how I tried not to look too closely at that pocket, afraid he’d think I was checking out his crotch), then held out his hand again, wiggling his fingers. “Your phone?”

“Oh, yeah.” I pulled my own phone out of my purse and handed it to him. He opened my Contacts app and typed in his name and number. As he handed it back to me, our fingers brushed against each other and he smiled.

“See you Friday.” He turned and walked away, heading for the cash registers on the ground floor. I stood in the aisle for several minutes, staring at my phone. I had a date with Dieter fucking Bravo, and he’d given me his phone number.

I waited until he’d left the store, then went to the register myself. “Hey, you just missed Dieter Bravo,” the clerk said. “I got his autograph.”

I got his phone number, I wanted to say, but I didn’t. The kid behind the counter was thrilled to have had an encounter with a celebrity; he didn’t need me rubbing his nose in my good fortune. That didn’t keep me from texting my best friend Sam once I was back on the train headed for the IE. We’d been friends in elementary school before her family moved back East the summer before junior high. We’d kept in touch over the years, first by letters and now by text and Facebook.

Sam replied with a string of emojis and punctuation marks. <Don’t fuck with me, Em. It’s not funny>

I clicked over to my Contacts and stared at the screen. The name “DB❤️” stared back at me. It was real.

I sketched out the encounter for her.

<You’re living in a rom com, I swear. But be careful. Heard he’s a bit of a wild child. Make him wear a condom. You don’t know where he’s been>

It was joke between us that Sam had grown up to love wearing stiletto heels and clubbing while I preferred flats and quiet evenings. We always said it was a good thing we lived so far apart or we’d never have remained friends. And yet Sam was the one who was married with three kids and a job in finance, while I was still unattached and basically living paycheck to paycheck.

<I’ll tell you all about the date, I promise. Luv u>

I put away my phone and stared out the window, watching the backyards and alleys of Southern California flash by. What a world, where I woke up in my tiny condo thinking the highlight of my day would be a new book and lunch at Olvera Strett, and now I had a date with a famous actor. Only in L.A. I mused. It really is La La Land.

#pedro pascal character fanfiction #dieter x reader #dieter bravo #dieter bravo x ofc #the bubble fanfiction

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bluestar22x · 8 months ago

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BlueStar's Fanfic Masterlist

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All my explicit fics are labeled with the appropriate ratings and warnings but please don't interact with any of my fics if you aren't 18+.

Warning: I write a lot of female reader insert fanfics, and I usually try to not describe their physical features but sometimes for the sake of the story or due to error there are details. They also fairly commonly have detailed histories for the sake of the storytelling. I write what I want to read.

Do NOT repost my fics! (Reblogs are welcome of course)

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Pedro Pascal Characters

Joel Miller

Colors - Joel Miller x Blind F!Reader

One Night - Joel Miller x F!Reader

The Fallen Warrior Series - Joel Miller x F!Reader; Joel Miller x OFC (ongoing series)

Visitation Rights - Joel Miller x F!Reader

Morning Routine - Joel Miller x F!Reader ("Visitation Rights" Verse)

A Haunting In Jackson - Joel Miller x F!Reader ("Visitation Rights" Verse)

A Bad Fall - Joel Miller, Ellie Williams

The Tree - Joel Miller, Ellie Williams

Christmas In Jackson - Joel, Ellie, Tommy, & Maria

Javier Peña

Sweet Summer Series - Javier Peña x F!Reader

New Year's Promise - Javier Peña x F!Reader ("Sweet Summer" Verse)

The Weekend - Javier Peña x F!Reader ("Sweet Summer" Verse)

Frankie Morales

Love Bites - Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Maze Find - Frankie Morales x F!Reader

The Fishing Trip - Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Serenity - Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Snowed In - Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Din Djarin

Nightmare - Din Djarin, Grogu

Weary - Din Djarin x Omera

Dieter Bravo

Boo! - Dieter Bravo x F!Reader

Strip Poker - Dieter Bravo x F!Reader

Unknown Series - Dieter Bravo x OFC (Ongoing Series)

Ezra (Coming Soon)

Jack Daniels

The Riding Lesson - Jack Daniels x F!Reader

Javi Gutierrez

Clean - Javi Gutierrez x F!Reader

The Pool - Javi Gutierrez x F!Reader

The Writing Contest Series - Javi Gutierrez x OFC (Ongoing Series)

Marcus Moreno

Second Chances Series - Marcus Moreno x OFC

Never Forgotten - Marcus Moreno x OFCs ("Second Chances" Verse)

Marcus Pike

A Lifetime Of Flowers - Marcus Pike x F!Reader

Baby Fever Series - Marcus Pike x F!Reader

The Shot Not Taken - Marcus Pike x F!Reader

Pero Tovar

The Journey Series - Pero Tovar x F!Reader

The Outcast Series - Pero Tovar x F!Reader

Tim Rockford

Betrayal - Tim Rockford x F!Reader

The Rockford Files Series - Tim Rockford x F!Reader

Zach Wellison

Finding Eden Series - Zach Wellison x F!Reader (Ongoing Series)

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What If The Series Were Novels? (Canva Book Covers)

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911 Lonestar

Some Good News - Judd x Grace (Pregnancy Announcement AU)

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Supernatural

Losing A Son - 14x07 Fix-It Fic

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Original Works

Alien Son

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Other places to find my works:

AO3 (BlueStar22)

Fanfiction.net (DeanCasLover22)

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#Fanfic Masterlist #Fanfiction #Mine

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coulsons-fullmetal-cellist · 11 months ago

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When Javi met Dieter

(Dieter x horror loving female)

Words: 3, 135

Summary: same story as this one but from a different point of view. Also read this story to get some background on Javi. Please read both before reading this one!

Warnings: lots of adorable fluffiness, people being cute and nerdy, talk of past medical procedures and post-partum issues. Reece is an original non-binary character created @cevans-is-classic by so please use they/them pronouns

Check out masterlist here

Javi was excited but also extremely nervous. Powerpuff was his first big production since his film that relaunched Nic Cage’s career. And this was his first big production with his own production company. All his small independent films had gotten critical acclaim but the bigger the production, the bigger the stakes.

The script, written by his partner Reece, was funny and heartwarming, the cast and crew were diverse and talented. Already there was outrage over some of the casting. Some made highly negative comments over casting a woman of colour to play Blossom. There were no complaints on casting a Japanese actress as Buttercup until they found out she would be dressed in baggy clothes being uncomfortable with her body and didn’t want to wear a skirt. They were the loudest complaints sadly, but he was shown the positive comments from children who were excited for the film and the film was for children and women of all ages. And he wanted his daughter to be proud of him. Ari was only two, so she was more impressed with Spiderman than her father. She was also more impressed with her godfather Nic Cage but that was understandable.

He was looking at the set now which felt like it came out of the animated show.

“Oh wow, it’s like Colour Out of Space!” he said to himself.

“It is,” he turned to the person who just said that. “Wait, you’ve seen that film?”

“Of course.”

You were shocked that you finally met someone who had seen the film. “And you liked it?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“I know some people thought it was too brightly coloured, but I think it added to the Eldritch horror.”

“It definitely added something new to the horror genre.”

“I love it when horror does something new!”

“My partner loves horror and has introduced me to some amazing films I never would have thought of watching.”

Filming was starting back up, so you had to go back to your duties. You gave your new friend your name before you left.

“I’m Javi,” he shook your hand. “Just Javi.”

*****

Reece was absolutely thankful their partner Javi agreed to set up an on-set daycare. Before their daughter Ari, they would be up all hours and living on very little sleep. With a toddler, they were still living on very little sleep, but they were now responsible for this little life, and they felt guilty leaving Ari with nannies all the time. This way made them feel less guilty as they could still see their child while working. The on-set daycare also opened up the opportunity to other workers in the film industry. One of them was Dieter Bravo as Professor Utonium. Javi was less enthused at the choice but agreed he was the best actor for the part.

As they made their way to the on-set daycare to drop off their daughter, Reece saw Dieter carrying his own little girl. Reece had yet to meet the actor in person, so they made their way over and introduced themselves.

Dieter shook their hand, “You’re the writer? I loved your script, my wife cried reading it so that means it was good.”

“Oh yeah, I heard the infamous Dieter Bravo had settled down and produced offspring, I just didn’t realise she was so stinking cute!”

“Hey!” a sleepy Ari mumbled.

“Don’t worry rascal, you’re still my favourite.”

After leaving their precious babies in the daycare, and after many kisses and cuddles, they both made their way to the sound stage.

“Hey,” said Dieter. “Do you know whose idea the on-set daycare was? I’d really like to thank them.”

“Uh, that was my idea.”

“It was? That’s awesome because my wife and I couldn’t work together much since the baby as one of us would always stay home to look after her. I really like being close to both of them. So thanks.”

“She’s working on the film?”

“Yeah, she’s doing the makeup for Mojo Jojo.”

“Oh yeah,” Reece tried not to smack their forehead. “I’m so glad she’s on board. She’s amazing.”

“Yeah she is.” He smiled warmly as they both reached the set. He saw you in the distance helping Jack Black put on his giant brain helmet.

“There she is,” Dieter proudly pointed you out. “My one true love.”

The lovestruck look on his face was one so familiar to Reece they couldn’t help but sigh at the adorableness of it all. They knew it was the loving gaze Javi gave to Nicolas Cage, but he now gave to them.

*****

The end of the first working day went well and Dieter was hoping Clara wasn’t missing them too much. As he walked in, he saw his little girl with two other little girls. You’d say they look like a little coven of witches, and he smiled at the thought.

Clara didn’t notice him as she was deep in conversation with the little girl with the same curly brown hair. But the other little girl with honey golden curls looked up and saw him.

“Papa?” she looked up at him with familiar eyes. “Tu barba?”

He ran a hand over his shaven face. “Lo siento patita. No soy tu papa.”

Reece came up next to him and looked at their daughter, “Hey rebel!”

Picking her up, Ari continued to look at Dieter with confusion. “Not papa?” she pointed at him.

“That’s right,” said Reece. “You remember Dieter from earlier.”

Clara finally realised her father was here and ran over to him, demanding to be picked up.

“Hey cupcake, did you make friends?” she nodded eagerly.

“Ari,” she pointed up then down, “Twin!”

“Twin?” Dieter asked. “So how do I know you’re really Clara?”

Both girls started to giggle. He looked down at Bianca. “Are you the real Clara?”

“I’m Bianca!”

She then saw her father approaching which solved the problem over who was which twin. Her father introduced himself before telling his daughter that her mother was waiting for them. Reece and Dieter both gave him an admirable look as he waved them goodbye.

“Hm,” mused Reece. “I wonder if he’s ever dressed as King T’challa?”

“That’s Marvel isn’t it?

Reece nodded, “Iron Man is my favourite and I’d hope this one would be the same but no. Who’s your favourite?”

“Spiderman!” exclaimed Ari.

“Oh,” mused Deiter. “No wonder you and Clara get along. She takes after her mum and likes spiders.”

*****

“Look Javi, all I’m saying is that if it didn’t have the same title, and if it wasn’t a remake, The Wicker Man 2006 would have been a passable film.”

“Passable?” Javi looked at his mug like a hurt puppy which would have worked on you if not for the fact that you dealt with that sort of eyes everyday with your husband and daughter.

“I’m just saying this as a fan of the original film.”

“The original is a masterpiece so nothing will ever hold a candle to it,” you nodded. “This was intended more as a dark comedy.”

“They should have made that more obvious.”

Javi sighed, “They should have. At least we get that memorable not-the-bees scene.”

“Um, they cut out that scene.”

“They what? Does Mr. Cage know?” He was momentarily stunned and changed the subject so he wouldn’t linger on it for too long. “I’m sorry, I never really got your answer before but, what is your favourite film?”

“The question really should be what is my favourite film at the moment?”

He hadn’t been asked such a profound question in a while, “Wow, no one has ever asked me that before.”

“I always thought just narrowing it down to just a handful makes it really hard to decide.”

“Exactly!”

You both paused in the nerdiness. After a small sigh, you asked. “I didn’t know you were the producer.”

Javi shrugged, “I don’t go around announcing myself.”

“I do. I have to because they always get my career wrong: I do special effects makeup, not just regular makeup. My husband always corrects people, he proudly shows me off.”

“He seems like a good man.”

“He is.”

*****

“Hey Reece, what is your favourite film at the moment?”

“Huh?”

“No one’s ever asked me that before. It’s always what are your favourite or top favourite and it’s always so hard to narrow it down.”

Reece just put their head on Javi’s shoulder, “Aw, I’m so glad you’ve made a friend who isn’t Nic Cage.”

*****

Javi had decided to pick up his daughter from the on-set daycare that day. He was too busy looking for Ari to notice another little girl ran up to him.

“Daddy?”

He looked down and saw a girl who almost looked like his daughter. “I’m sorry bonita,” he said kneeling down. “I’m not your father.”

“Papa!” He was welcomed his daughter with open arms while the other little girl gave him as big a death stare as a two-year-old could.

He saw you enter the daycare and you found Clara giving her biggest death glare. She managed to break her glaring when you picked her up. She pointed at the man, “Not daddy?”

“That’s right, it’s not daddy. He looks nothing like him.”

But Clara went back to her evil glaring. The man who looked like her father but was not her father could only result in one conclusion.

“Evil daddy.”

“Why do you think he’s evil? He’s a very nice man.”

“I’m sorry,” you said to him. “Usually her dad picks her up, so she thinks you’re her dad. But he had to shave his beard and she must be missing it and saw yours so...” you shrugged.

“Oh no, that’s fine,” he turned to the girl in his arms. “Is this your friend?”

She nodded, “Spider.”

He knew Ari had this funny way of remembering her new friends and called them by their favourite bugs. Bianca was named Bee.

You properly introduced your daughter, “This is Clara.”

*****

“I met Ari’s friend today,” Javi told Reece after their day of filming.

“Oh, she’s a cutie, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, although she kept calling me evil for some reason.”

“Were you doing your Nic Cage impression?”

“No,” he got a hard glare. “I wasn’t. Not even subconsciously.”

*****

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude your reading, but I couldn’t help but admire your book.”

Javi always loved books about films, he read them more than actual books. You lifted up the book to show the full cover: Golem, Caligari, Nosferatu; A Chronicle of German Film Fantasy.

“My husband got it for me because he knew I’d love it. And I do.”

“So you’ve seen The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari?” he asked.

“Oh yes. Old films just have a certain quality to them modern films can’t replicate.”

“I completely agree. Is it one of your favourite films at the moment?”

“It is but I really like Nosferatu, mainly because it’s an early depiction of vampires. Oh, do you know the film Shadow of the Vampire?”

“Of course, a masterpiece to honour its original film,” you nodded in agreement. “Nicolas Cage produced that film.”

“He did?”

“Yes, he grew up with all those silent films.”

“How did I not notice?”

*****

“We ended up having this amazing discussion about German silent films.”

“Wow, I’m so happy you found someone other than your boyfriend who’ seen Caligari.”

Javi either didn’t notice the quip or chose to ignore it. “She must be married to someone amazing.”

“Yeah, Dieter is a pretty nice guy.”

“Yes and, wait who?”

“Dieter Bravo,” said Reece.

“What do you mean Dieter Bravo?” he asked more sternly.

“I mean Dieter Bravo is her husband.”

“You’re telling me that smart sophisticated woman is married to that…” he couldn’t think of an appropriate word, “…man?”

Sometime in the middle of the night, Javi bolted upright in bed.

“Oh Dios Mio!” he exclaimed; startling Reece awake in the process.

“Javi,” they grumbled. “There had better be a fire or I’m setting you on fire.”

“Dieter Bravo has offspring!”

“Yes he has offspring. You’ve met the offspring.”

“I can’t believe that adorable little girl is the offspring of…” again he couldn’t find the appropriate word, “…him!”

“Were you expecting horns? Or a forked tongue?”

*****

Reece wandered into the on-set daycare as usual to pick up Ari and noticed you following after.

They held out their hand to you, “Hi, I’m Reece. I’ve made friends with your husband Dieter. Also, you’ve made friends with my partner Javi.”

“Oh hi!” You shook hands and introduced yourself. “Is it weird to say I loved your script?”

“No, not at all.”

“I teared up the way I would a Mike Flanagan series.”

“I still cry over Bly Manor.”

You would have had a fangirl moment with the screenwriter, but you were both interrupted by two little girls running up to you.

“Noma!” Ari did her usual upsie hands.

Juggling a boisterous toddler in their hands, Reece explained, “I’m non-binary so Noma is an alternative to mum or dad.”

“Oh, so you prefer they/them pronouns?” Reece raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Dieter’s assistant is the same.”

They were rather impressed at the casual acceptance, “Hey, do you want to go get a coffee?”

“No coffee!” came the cry from Ari.

“Oh, that’s right. I need to seriously cut back on the coffee. I was practically living off it, getting the script done.”

“Are you into tea? I know a place that does great chai,” you suggested. “And they make a really good chocolate milk.”

Both girls immediately perked up.

“Should have led with that.”

The café was cosy and quaint with comfortable benches. After ordering masala chai, chocolate milk and cookies for the girls, you both settled in.

“So how did you and Javi meet?”

“Oh, I was hired to do rewrites for What’s It About and that’s how we met.”

“I loved that film!”

“I’m proud of that one. How did you meet Dieter?”

“We met while doing Sap of Justice.”

“Wait, you did the makeup for it?” you nodded. “Oh, that part where his skin came off and the blood was like tree sap? I loved that!”

“Are people still talking about that?”

“Well, it was awesome!”

You both looked over at Clara and Ari having so much fun being in a new play area.

“I love that they’ve made friends,” you hummed in agreement. “They seem close in age. Ari’s birthday is the 21st of September, when is Clara’s?”

“Halloween.”

“Her birthday is Halloween?” you nodded. “Was that planned?”

“Oh no, Clara wasn’t planned at all. All we knew was that she’d be due mid-November, but I guess she loves Halloween as much as me so,” you flourished your hands in a shrug.

“Ari wasn’t planned either. But if we were planning, Javi would have tried to plan the conception, so she’d be born around Nic Cage’s birthday as close as possible.”

“Seriously?”

“You have no idea how much he loves the man.”

“So if you had another child would he try to do that?”

“Oh, I can’t have any more children.”

“I’m sorry.”

They put a reassuring hand on you, “Don’t worry about it hon, you didn’t know. Ari was an emergency c-section and that’s when doctors found a lump,” you gasped. “The option was either go through months of chemo and miss out on so much of my baby’s life or just have all the organs removed and only miss a little bit. So, I’m happy we had Ari when we did. Would you want more children?”

“I love Clara to bits, but I hated being pregnant,” Reece sighed in sympathy. “I was sick for most of it, and I didn’t cope well afterwards. Honestly if I was by myself, I wouldn’t have survived it. Dieter was one hundred percent there for me and he won’t admit it but he’s an amazing father and I’ve fallen more in love with him.”

You both just sat there in a comfortable silence until refreshments arrived. The girls were called back from their playing. Clara wanted to sit on your lap, so you moved her there and she kissed your cheek.

“She’s a cuddler, like her father,” you explained to Reece.

“Daddy huggy!”

“Yes he is!” you kissed her pudgy little cheek.

*****

“Oh, I met your new best friend today!” Reece informed Javi. “She’s adorable! I can see why Dieter loves her.” They gritted their teeth as that name was accidentally said out loud and Javi groaned in annoyance.

“The whole family is adorable,” Reece continued. “We should adopt them!’

“We are not adopting a family. Especially if that includes Dieter Bravo.”

“Javi, why the animosity? Did he say something rude to you on set?”

“No,” Javi shifted. “He’s never said anything to me. We’ve never talked.”

“What the hell? How can you say you know him when you’ve never talked to him?” Reece held Javi’s face, “The Dieter I know is a sweetheart; he’s mad about his wife and he adores his little girl. He’s a genuine good guy. He’s not going to play Mr. Nice Guy and then stab you in the back like-”

“That prick Jagar Aldritch.”

“Still hung up on that?”

“Wouldn’t you be? He ruined my film.”

“And he tried to flirt with me.”

“What? Why haven’t you told me this before?”

“It was just the once. I think my pronouns confused him,” they changed the subject. “Anyways, you should just talk to him. Who knows, it might be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

*****

Javi was happy to see you after the weekend. He promised Reece he’d make an effort with Dieter and would at least talk to him. If it came about naturally, he wasn’t going to walk up to him because it might seem too straightforward.

He hated to admit it, but he liked the actor’s work ethic; he’d always be on time and too the role seriously enough without going method. The scene where Jack Black was playing on a grand piano and Dieter was lying supine across it while singing the big musical number Sugar and Spice: A Bitter Taste was insanely hilarious and anyone else wouldn’t have pulled it off as well.

Javi praised the performance while you were once again deep in conversation. You saw Dieter approaching the two of you and finally Javi had to talk to the actor.

“Oh, hey Dieter. Have you met the producer?”

He held out his hand, Dieter reluctantly took it.

“Hi, I’m Javi Gutierrez.”

Dieter mumbled his name.

“So what’s your favourite Nic Cage film?” Dieter raised an eyebrow in question. “Well I keep having interesting conversations with your wife over several of Mr. Cage’s films so I assumed…”

“Oh, I don’t like Nic Cage.”

This was not going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Lovingly tagging @boliv-jenta @simpingcowboy @ellenmunn @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @chaithetics @myloveistoolittle @glshmbl @gswizzsstuff @cupcakehp @nicolethered @blueeyesatnight

#pedro pascal #jose pedro balmaceda pascal #dieter x honey cakes #love of horror fanfic #love of horror universe #love of horror #dieter bravo #dieter x reader #the bubble netflix #the bubble #javi g #javier gutierrez

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itsbrandy · 1 year ago

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Wildest Dreams

Summary: After escaping her small hometown with her best friend, Bee embarks on a daring journey in the heart of the Golden Age of Hollywood. With big dreams of becoming a star, she's thrust into the spotlight when she's offered a lead role opposite Dieter Bravo, a charismatic but troubled movie star known for his hedonistic lifestyle As they come together on the set of the sweeping romance film, their lives become entwined in a complex dance of ambition, redemption, and love that defies the glittering facade of Tinseltown.

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI, drug use, alcohol use, partying, mentions of sex, old timey sexism, additional warnings to be added.

A/N: OFC is bi like Dieter. This story was inspired by, as you can see, the Wildest Dreams music video. I just had to see this story explored with Dieter. There is pov switching. Hope you like it!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

#dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo x oc #dieter bravo x ofc #dieter bravo #dieter and bee universe #agentbrandy #1950s au #old hollywood #wildest dreams

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prolix-yuy · 2 years ago

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LJ's 500 Follower Requests!

This celebration is complete, enjoy all the stories!

The Debt: Pero Tovar x F!Reader

@fuckyeahdindjarin: Pero Tovar (continued from this drabble), Companionship as Salvation

Home: Dieter Bravo x OC F!Reader

@hnt-escape: Dieter Bravo (from Below the Line), Wild Card

Negotiations: Max Phillips x F!Reader

@browneyes-issac: Max Phillips, Immortality

Phantom: Ezra x Original Female Character

@the-blind-assassin-12: Ezra, Emptiness of Attaining a False Dream

Flight Plan: Frankie Morales x F!Reader (from Sex Worker!Frankie AU)

@lowlights: Wild Card, Fear of Failure

The First Ever Touch: Din Djarin x F!Reader (from the I Think of You Series)

@pedrito-friskito, Din Djarin, Companionship as Salvation

In Print: Ezra & F!Reader

@littleferal, Ezra, Immortality

Coming Due: Pero Tovar x F!Reader

@blackirisesinthesunlight, Pero, Everlasting Love

The Road Behind: Eventual Javier Peña x F!Reader

@beecastle, Javier Peña, Heroism (Real and Perceived)

The Road Ahead: Javier Peña x F!Reader

@iamskyereads, Javier Peña, Reunion and The Power of Words

My Bluebell Song: Jack "Whiskey" Daniels x F!Reader

@marvelouslyme96, Jack Daniels, Reunion

Legacy: Din Djarin x Original F!Character

@chaoticgeminate, Din Djarin, Identity Crisis

Two Truths and a Lie: Jack "Whiskey" Daniels x F!Reader x Marcus Pike

@aynsleywalker, Jack and/or Marcus, Chaos and Order

Burn in My Bloodstream: Din Djarin x Xi'an

@amban-rifle, Heartbreak of Betrayal

#lj's 500 follower celebration #pero tovar fanfiction #pero tovar x f!reader #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo x f!reader #bloodsucking bastards fanfiction #max phillips x f!reader #prospect fanfiction #ezra prospect x f!reader #din djarin fanfiction

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something-tofightfor · 6 years ago

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Masterlist

Updated 1/21/2025

All stories feature a female Reader character unless otherwise indicated.

Ko-fi Link - buy me a coffee?

Pedro Pascal Characters Masterlist

(Updated 1/21/2025)

Characters I write for: Agent Whiskey, Javier Peña, The Mandalorian (Din Djarin), Frankie Morales, The Thief, Ezra, Oberyn Martell, Joel Miller, Marcus Pike, Jay Castillo, Max Phillips, Dieter Bravo, Javi Gutierrez, Nick Caldwel (Fire Meet Gasoline music video character), Nico (House Comes With a Bird), Daniel (Wing Pit SNL sketch), Tim Rockford (Merge Mansion ads), Dio (NYPD Blue), Special Agent Ortega (The Sixth Gun), Pero Tovar

Ben Barnes Characters Masterlist

(Updated 12/28/2021)

Characters I write for: Billy Russo, Benjamin Greene, Logan Delos, King Caspian, Ryan Brenner, Samuel Adams

Events Masterlist - Updated 11/14/2022

One-Shots

The First of Many (Frank Castle x Karen Page) Complete; 1/1. - WC: 3,364 -Originally posted 2/15/19. Rating: M (little steamy at the end)

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itsbrandy · 1 year ago

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Wildest Dreams

Chapter 2: He's So Tall and Handsome as Hell

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI, drug use, alcohol use, partying, smoking, spanking, mm kissing, ff kissing, old timey taboo

Word Count: 4.9k

A/N: Here's some angst for ya. Thank you for reading!

Dieter

Dieter was barely lucid by the time John arrived, but John fixed him up quickly. He’d made the stupid mistake of thinking John was there to break into his house despite the fact that his residence was carefully guarded by security.

“Are you taking downers?” John asked. He looked handsome. His blonde hair was neatly styled, and he was wearing baby blue. Dieter always loved it when he wore light colors. “You didn’t have to pregame so hard.”

“Dunno,” Dieter shrugged. “Too much time to wait.”

“‘Kay,” John said. He procured a pill bottle from his pocket and set a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass down on the coffee table. “Well, take some of this. You’ll pep right up. We’ve got girls coming. Lots of them. I did something you’re not going to believe, Dieter.”

Dieter took the small pill from John and threw it back with a shot of whiskey John poured for him. The shot screamed down his throat, burning up his nose and stimulating his senses.

“Nice,” Dieter commented. He loved the burn of whiskey as it went down. “What did you do?”

“I scouted the fucking acting schools,” John said. His brown eyes lit up with excitement.

“I’ve got 30-something acting school girls coming. Plus, our normal crowd. This party is going to be insane!”

Dieter was a bit too numb to match John’s level of enthusiasm, but he smiled and nodded to show his approval. If John was happy, he was happy. He hadn’t seen John this happy in a while. Ever since their big fight, John had kept his distance.

To be truthful with himself, Dieter wasn’t quite sure what the sudden change was.

Maybe it was that Dieter had drugs or that his house was bigger than John’s, so he could throw a proper rager.

Or maybe he’d gotten in trouble with his PR team for throwing parties at his own house and wanted to use Dieter’s house as a loophole.

Regardless of the reason, Dieter thought spending time with John was worth it.

Dieter was used to being used by people. All his life, he’d been used by people, whether it was for fame, money, sex, drugs, alcohol, or a cheap laugh.

“That’s awesome, John,” Dieter said. “How the hell did you manage that?”

“I’ve got connections,” John said. He poured Dieter another shot.

“Another one of my friends is bringing bottles. Don’t worry, this isn’t all we’ll have.”

“Good,” Dieter said, throwing the second shot back. “I was promised vodka.”

“Were you?” John asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.

Dieter wasn’t sure if he was playing dumb or if he was lying to him.

“Can we get some lights turned on in this place?” John asked, wandering over to the kitchen. “Do you usually just sit in the dark?”

Dieter shrugged. “I was on my own until you showed up. Let’s get those lights on so I can see your pretty face.”

“That’s more like it,” John said. He flicked the kitchen lights on, and Dieter almost gasped as he realized how shitty John looked.

He knew that he was spun out on drugs, but John had lost weight in the weeks since he’d last seen him. John’s cheekbones, usually prominent and handsome, jutted out unnaturally compared to his sunken in cheeks. His jaw wasn’t filled out either, making his chin look larger.

He didn’t look like himself.

He didn’t look like the John that Dieter was used to. But when John smiled at him, it was still that same smile, and Dieter realized he’d still kiss him in a heartbeat all the same. John just needed to eat more food. That was all.

Dieter could feed him. He made more than enough money to support John if he was struggling with eating. Or they could hire someone to bring him food. There had to be a solution.

Dieter’s mind was racing, and John’s mouth was moving, and Dieter couldn’t hear him.

“What did you say?” Dieter asked after a while. He was leaning against the counter, using it as support for his weight. His body felt heavy, and his head felt light.

“I said Mary Alice was pulled from the Paramount film,” John said with a grin. “I think it means you got the role.”

There was another man in the kitchen with John now, one that Dieter didn’t recognize.

He was taller than John but not taller than Dieter and had sandy brown hair. He was busy unloading bottles of alcohol out of a cardboard box and onto the other countertop.

“Who are you?” Dieter asked. He’d lost time between what John said about Mary Alice and now. There was a shot of whiskey served up right in front of him, speaking his name.

“Fred,” the man said, holding his hand out for Dieter to shake it. Instead, Dieter grabbed the shot glass and downed it, leaving Fred with his hand extended until he finally decided to retract it.

“When are people showing up?” Dieter asked.

“Now,” John said, as if Dieter was missing something.

When he turned around, he realized that there were already a couple dozen people milling around his living room. Music was playing from his record player, and girls were wearing shiny dresses that showed off their shoulders and their figures.

“Oh,” Dieter said. “I’m going to go talk to people, then.”

“Have fun,” John said. Dieter looked away, trying to find a beautiful girl in the room to talk to.

There were plenty of them, no shortage, really. John had done a really good job putting together the guest list.

What was it he said? Did he raid an acting school?

Genius, John.

John was so smart. So handsome. So strung out on drugs, God, he was so skinny now.

Dieter was worried, but Dieter couldn’t judge. He was also strung out on drugs.

The devil makes company.

His thoughts were like spaghetti in his hands, noodles slipping through his fingers as time and space contracted and flexed around him.

One moment, a girl would be sitting in his lap, her form pressed up against him. The next, she’d be gone, as if she was just a phantom, a poltergeist.

Dieter told himself he needed to slow down, but the drinks kept coming. Liquor flowed into his hand like it appeared out of thin air.

And the pills…

Once John opened up his not-so-secret box of fun on the coffee table, it was like all hell had sprung loose. Women flocked to the sitting area like vultures surrounding a carcass. They giggled and shrieked, taking turns as they quickly depleted Dieter’s stash.

John asked him if he had any more drugs.

Of course, he did.

Dieter wandered off to grab more from his closet—a second supply. An addict never hid all of his shit in the same place. How stupid would that be?

He dropped off the drugs with John and waited patiently for John to help him do another line. How many had he done tonight? What was it he’d grabbed from the closet?

Dieter blinked, then blinked again. His vision had gone fuzzy, but it cleared up quickly.

Time seemed to skip, bending and flexing. He stumbled backward into his seat, unaware that he’d been standing.

John laughed and slung his arm around his shoulder. He was warm and fit against him like the perfect puzzle piece. Oh, Dieter missed John. He wished John would come around more.

He wished it was just the two of them alone now. They didn’t need all of these people to have a good time.

“This is the best party I’ve been to in a minute,” John whispered in his ear.

“Yeah?” Dieter asked. “Why do you say that?”

“There are so many women,” John said with a laugh that sent tingles up Dieter’s spine. “I really outdid myself this time.”

“You did,” Dieter agreed. “I don’t know how you fit so many people in here.”

“Magic,” John joked.

He tried to remember the other parties that he’d been to with John in the months before they’d stopped spending as much time with one another. There was the one that quickly devolved into a sex party.

Dieter could almost taste John’s lips on his tongue. The memory was so vivid. It felt like he was reliving the moment now.

But then he was kissing John, cupping his chin on the couch in his living room. The brash feel of stubble against his fingertips felt like electricity. John tasted like whiskey, and he smelled like sin and smoke.

“What are you doing?” John asked.

“What?” Dieter said.

He was in John’s lap, kissing him, and the girls around them were watching. They always kissed at parties. This wasn’t anything new.

But things had changed between Dieter and John in the passing months, as much as Dieter didn’t want to admit it. He wasn’t John’s number one, and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be.

“There’s too many people here,” John said, giving him a gentle shove. “Not now.”

Dieter stood up and swayed, finding balance difficult.

“Okay,” he said, as if his heart wasn’t shattered. “That’s okay.”

John gathered a young woman in his lap, swiftly replacing Dieter with her soft hips and poofy dress.

“Find a girl, Dieter,” John said. “You should enjoy yourself tonight. This party is your party, after all.”

Dieter nodded. “Yeah, I should do that. You’re right, John.”

He was lying to John and to himself.

He didn’t want a girl. He wanted John tonight.

Maybe beggars can’t be choosers, and Dieter didn’t often beg. It was just that he’d expected something when John called him earlier. He thought that John wanted to come over because he wanted Dieter, not a spot to host the biggest rager Hollywood had seen all year.

Dieter stumbled away, heading out to the front patio with a cigarette between his teeth. He puffed and inhaled, breathing in the bite of nicotine and immediately feeling more awake, more lucid.

He loved cigarettes at parties. They helped him have a second wind, waking him up from the haze of drugs and alcohol. He needed fresh air, though, and the front patio was less jam-packed with people than the inside of his home was.

Partygoers were still arriving, walking past Dieter and into his home as if they owned the place. The door was revolving—people came in, people came out.

A young actress burst through the door to puke in his front shrubs before racing back indoors to continue the festivities.

A pair of Hollywood hopefuls entered the home hand-in-hand,

sober and bright-eyed, so unaware that Hollywood would snap them apart if they ever got a role in anything.

Agents weren’t a fan of established couples. Neither were production companies.

They liked couples who drew headlines and excitement. So they would break up couples on purpose, shred them into tiny little pieces, and take away their happiness forever.

Dieter knew how it went, which is why he never messed around with dating.

Their romance would end in disaster.

Dieter was smarter than them.

He took one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out on the railing of his front porch. As he did so, he noticed two girls walking down the road. One with dark hair, the other with light brown hair.

They walked hand-in-hand also, just like the couple that had entered his home before them.

The dark-haired one caught his eye and grabbed his attention immediately.

Much to his surprise, his first instinct wasn’t to ask her if she wanted to have sex with him. He wanted to ask her if she was okay.

She looked nervous as the pair of them approached his driveway, the woman with light brown hair murmuring reassurances to her.

“Nancy,” the dark-haired woman said. “This looks like a lot. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable—”

“It’ll be fun. I promise,” the other one, Nancy, said insistently. She hung on the dark-haired woman’s arm, pleading with her. “I just need to find Alice, and then you’ll feel more comfortable. She knows a ton of people here.”

“It’s so loud. Don’t you think the cops will come?” the dark-haired one said as they passed him.

She didn’t look at him, which bruised Dieter’s ego. Her brown eyes were locked on her friend instead.

Dieter knew the feeling. He opened his mouth to warn her about falling in love with her same-sex best friend.

It’ll end badly, he wanted to say. You’ll be in love forever, but you’ll always be forgotten about. You’ll live forever as the moth to her flame. Is that what you want?

Fuck, he should listen to his own advice.

Dieter laughed and lit another cigarette as the two women entered his home without saying hello to him.

The door opening let out the raucous sound of the party, which made Dieter’s head throb and pulse with the start of a headache.

He needed another drink ASAP.

“And? We’re in Hollywood. The cops know about these things. They wouldn’t dare mess with the stars. I mean, come on. This is Dieter Bravo’s house, after all,” Nancy said.

“Hm,” the dark-haired one said. Her voice still sounded wary, but she trusted her friend. “I hope you’re right.”

“We’ll get some drinks. You’ll feel better before you know it,” Nancy promised.

-----

Bee

Bee didn’t feel better with drinks in her. She felt dizzy and too hot. Her skin was crawling with the feeling of stuffiness in the crowded home. The lights were low, filled with the haze of smoke from all of the smokers.

She kept returning to the kitchen counter to pick up shot glasses of liquor, hoping that continuing to drink would make her feel more at peace and less like an outsider.

A couple of men approached her, but she quickly shooed them away and scurried back to Nancy’s side.

It was with Nancy that she felt safe, even though she didn’t really like Alice or her crowd very much.

Alice was stunning. She was blonde, with big curls and bright blue eyes. She was thin, too, with an angular face that made Bee envious and a body that turned heads on a swivel.

With Alice, Nancy, and Bee were right in the thick of things at the party. Though Bee didn’t recognize them, there were plenty of lower-level Hollywood stars gathered around where they sat on a set

of sofas.

Nancy flitted between the laps of men and Bee’s own lap.

Every time she got bored with a prospective catch, she’d return to Bee. Bee would wrap her arms around Nancy’s waist and nuzzle her shoulder with her chin, breathing in the smell of sultry smoke that mixed with Nancy’s fruity shampoo.

How could she have fun and give into her inhibitions at a party without giving into Nancy?

Especially with Nancy practically throwing herself at her. It just wasn’t fair.

Bee always stopped herself before she got too handsy, though. She didn’t want Nancy or anyone else to get too suspicious. Sure, there were other same-sex couples scattered around the Hollywood home.

Men kissed men, and women kissed women, but they were usually tucked away in the corners of the home as Bee maneuvered it.

The straight debauchery, on the other hand, was front and center for everyone’s enjoyment.

Bee never fancied herself as a voyeur, but she couldn’t keep her eyes away from John Hughes as he playfully spanked an acting school girl who had stripped down to her white slip at some point. A crowd formed around them, hooting and cheering.

There was one man Bee noticed over in that corner of the living room who didn’t look pleased to watch the display. Bee immediately recognized him as the owner of the home, Dieter Bravo.

He was famous on the Silver Screen. Devilishly handsome and horribly promiscuous—he was Hollywood’s darling.

He’d thrown this party, though. Why was he so ticked off that it was getting rowdy?

With all this alcohol and all of these women, wasn’t that the goal?

Bee didn’t strike Dieter as the type of man who enjoyed quiet evenings at home with talk radio on in the background and a mug of hot tea to warm his hand. He was whiskey and wine, cigarettes and ash, and women.

Plenty of women. Women at his disposal.

An entire acting school of women inside his living room.

This party fit him perfectly. It was exactly his style.

Then why was he so upset?

In her drunken haze, Bee almost wanted to get up and walk across the room to ask him herself. She pushed herself up from the armchair she sat in, only to be pushed back down by the weight of Nancy.

Nancy sat in her lap, and Bee wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. She was careful not to spill the drink that Nancy clung in her hand by moving her too much.

“I really don’t like Jimmy,” Nancy whined. “But he keeps talking to me, and he’s so boring. The only thing is, I think he might be able to help me get more auditions. Should I spend more time with him?”

“It’s up to you, Nance,” Bee said. “Do you want to get more auditions?”

Nancy giggled. “Yeah, of course.”

She hiccupped, and Bee rubbed her back between her shoulder blades. Nancy sighed and leaned into Bee’s touch.

“You’re going to be a star, Bee,” Nancy said. “We’ll both be stars. I’m okay with fucking my way to the top if we have to. Anything to make sure that both of us will make it. I’ll do anything.”

Bee’s heart sank. She wasn’t sure she liked hearing those words from Nancy. Well, half of it she was more than fine with. Bee wanted to be a star. She wanted to make it in Hollywood.

Sure, she knew that there was no future where she could proudly kiss Nancy in front of the world, but there were plenty of Hollywood stars who were gay behind the scenes. There were probably a dozen or more of them in Dieter Bravo’s house at this very moment.

Nancy wrestled her way out of Bee’s arms and stood.

“I want another drink,” she said. Nancy reached out and grabbed Bee’s hand. “Come with me, let’s go get another one.”

Nancy hadn’t finished the one she’d been drinking, but Bee agreed—anything to stay near her.

“We’re going to get another drink,” Nancy told Alice.

Alice was bent over at the waist. Her face neared a side table where she snorted up some white powder neatly arranged in a line. Nancy waited for Alice to finish and cleared her throat.

Bee watched on awkwardly and fussed with her skirt. There was a wrinkle where the weight of Nancy had been.

“We’re going to get another drink,” Nancy repeated when Alice sat up straight. Her eyes were wide, her lids fluttered, and she looked dazed.

“Okay,” Alice said with a smile.

“What was that anyway?” Bee asked Nancy as the two of them walked toward the kitchen.

“I’m not sure,” Nancy shrugged. “Alice knows what she’s doing. She’s always at these parties. I think it’s how she stays so skinny.”

Bee gulped. That feeling of envy was back, sitting like a rock on her chest.

“You think so?” she asked. It looked scary.

Drinking was one thing for Bee. She knew she wasn’t really supposed to do it. Drinking wasn’t becoming of a young woman like her, especially not in copious amounts. If she wanted to be a star, no one could ever know about any habits of hers. Even the biggest stars didn’t really let on that they smoked.

Men smoked cigarettes, not women.

Well, some women did. But only if they were really glamorous.

Nancy dragged Bee toward the kitchen by her hand.

Bee’s hand felt sweaty in Nancy’s grasp. They held hands all the time, but the fuzzy feeling of alcohol made the butterflies in her stomach flap their wings like they were feral. Her heart was pounding. Her head was a mess.

“Whiskey or vodka?” Nancy asked as they approached the counter.

“Vodka,” Bee answered.

Nancy grinned. “I don’t know why I even asked. I know you so well.”

You do, Bee wanted to say. You know me better than anyone.

Nancy downed the rest of her existing drink and filled her glass with more whiskey.

Then, tugging Bee by her hand, she guided them through the crowd of people back toward Alice and her group on the couches.

But, of course, their seat had been taken. With this many people, Bee knew better than to have not asked someone to watch it for them, but she’d forgotten.

Now, she and Nancy would have to stand back in the shadows in one of the only places in the living room that wasn’t already occupied by dancing bodies and heads thrown back in laughter.

“This isn’t so bad,” Nancy said once they’d settled into their dark corner. “I needed a break from the men anyway.”

She set her glass of whiskey down on a bookshelf and took Bee’s glass from her as well.

“There,” Nancy said. “Let’s dance.”

Nancy wrapped her arms around Bee’s neck and swayed to the music. Bee could hardly hear the beat or the rhythm over the sounds of people yelling and laughing and telling ridiculous stories, but it didn’t matter.

Her hands found Nancy’s hips, and Nancy melted into her.

“You’re so beautiful,” Nancy said. “I’ve always thought you were so pretty.”

Bee stiffened. Her hands went rigid on Nancy’s waist. Was she just saying that because she was drunk? Did she mean it in a friendly way or in a different way?

Oh, there were too many questions.

She just couldn’t take it anymore. Bee had to know the truth. She just didn’t have the words to ask her.

She wasn’t brave enough to do this.

Bee reached out and grabbed her vodka drink, and slammed it down. Liquid courage burned its way down her throat, bringing stinging tears to her eyes.

Then, Bee kissed Nancy like she’d always wanted to. Her lips fit perfectly against Nancy’s, and her hands moved from Nancy’s waist to find her perfect brown curls.

Her hair was so soft, like nothing she’d ever felt before. When she twisted her fingers in her hair to pull her closer, it felt like grabbing a handful of silk ribbons.

Nancy tasted of whiskey and floral perfume.

Bee wanted her so badly it hurt, and she kissed her like her life depended on it.

There was no time to consider if this changed things between them. They were roommates, but before that, they’d been the closest friends.

This was just alcohol and adrenaline. Not feelings. Right?

Nancy sighed into the kiss, breathing gentle acknowledgment back to her.

So, she wasn’t imagining it. Nancy wasn’t just saying things to her because they were friends.

Bee had won. She’d gotten the girl. She’d done it. She’d been brave enough.

When Nancy pulled back, Bee had the feeling that they were being watched. There were a hundred people packed into the tight space, and the lights were dim, but someone’s gaze bore holes into Bee’s skin.

There was only one person in the crowded room whose eyes were locked on them as Nancy backed Bee against the wall, holding the back of her head.

Just before Nancy kissed her again, Bee locked eyes with Dieter Bravo himself.

“Hey, Nanc,” Alice said just before they kissed for a second time. “I have to use the bathroom. Will you come with me to find it?”

Nancy turned around quickly and addressed her acting class friend as if nothing ever happened between them. Her hands left Bee’s body like they’d never ever been there in the first place, igniting every nerve in her body like electric shock.

Jealousy burned through Bee like liquor.

Alice. So pretty and so sweet and so perfect.

If Nancy was gay, what was stopping her from choosing Alice over her?

She just did, right now. Would Nancy kiss Alice in the bathroom? Would she change her mind?

“Be right back,” Nancy said. Then, Nancy went to find the bathroom with the girl from her acting class, leaving Bee alone in the corner with Nancy’s forgotten glass of whiskey and bruised lips.

She stared off in the direction Nancy left in, willing her to come back, playing the moment their lips touched over and over. It was a moment she’d never forget. There was no way.

“I saw that,” Dieter said, sliding against the wall next to her. His shoulder accidentally bumped against the bookcase, rattling its contents.

Bee gasped and swung around. Not even the sweet numbness of alcohol could stop the fear of having been caught kissing her best friend by none other than Dieter Bravo himself.

“Don’t worry,” he said. His words slid together like his lips had lost their feeling. Bee was familiar with how that felt. “I have one of those too.”

Bee looked at him, really looked at him. He was so tall and handsome as hell.

How could he be in the same situation as her? He was a lady killer. Everyone knew that.

“But,” Bee said stupidly. “You have sex with women.”

Dieter laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Of course I do. I have sex with a lot of women.”

“Oh,” Bee said. “Yeah, of course you do.”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about his admission. It made her feel dizzy and a little bit winded, but she’d also just kissed her best friend. Her wires were all crossed.

“Do you want this?” Bee asked, unsure of what else to say. “I don’t drink whiskey.”

“That’s your friend’s drink,” Dieter pointed out. “You’re really going to give it away?”

“Oh,” Bee said. She felt dumb. She’d just said ‘Oh’ twice in a row. Why did this man make her speechless? “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“So, how long?” Dieter asked.

“How long what?”

“How long have you been in love with your best friend?” Dieter pressed. “It’s been a while for me, too. Probably five years.”

“I’m not sure,” Bee said honestly.

She couldn’t remember when she’d begun to fall for Nancy. There wasn’t a day that it started. There were always days where she looked at Nancy and loved her because who couldn’t love Nancy? When that love had changed to something more, Bee couldn’t say.

“That’s the best kind of love,” Dieter said. “The type where you aren’t sure where it ends and where it begins. You just know that it’s there, and you’ll always have it.”

Bee took a sip of Nancy’s whiskey instead of responding. His words had hit too close to home. Bee sputtered and coughed. Whiskey was awful.

“Don’t do that,” Dieter scolded. He eased the glass out of Bee’s hand, warm fingertips brushing against her skin. “You shouldn’t mix dark liquor and light.”

“How do you know that?” Bee asked.

This was the first time she had heard of such a thing. She’d only known that she liked vodka more than she liked whiskey. Whiskey smelled like shoe polish, but Nancy seemed to have no trouble drinking it. Alice drank it, too.

But both of them were cool. They were the type of women who could get away with smoking cigarettes.

“I’m an alcoholic,” Dieter said nonchalantly, as if he was stating where he was from.

Bee laughed out of shock.

“I’m sorry,” she said immediately. Her eyes widened out of horror at her own loose lips. “I’m drunk.”

“That’s an interesting name,” Dieter said. “I’m Dieter.”

“No, my name isn’t drunk,” Bee said, confused. “My name is Bee.”

“Bee,” Dieter grinned, and it sent Bee’s heart rate soaring. Her pulse pounded in her ears like it only did when she was thinking about Nancy. “I like that name.”

“Oh, Bee,” Alice said suddenly from behind her. She quickly wound herself around Dieter, planting a kiss on his cheek as if she belonged in his arms.

Dieter grabbed onto her, but Bee wasn’t sure if he wanted to be touching her or if he grabbed her because Alice had knocked him off balance.

Her lipstick left red marks on Dieter’s cheekbone.

Dieter handed Nancy’s whiskey glass back to Bee. She held it eagerly, so excited to see Nancy again that she hardly cared about Alice’s posturing.

“I see you’ve met Dieter,” Alice said protectively. “Dieter and I might be starring in a movie together very soon.”

“Maybe,” Dieter said. “We’ll have to see.”

“That’s great,” Bee said. She didn’t care. There was something more important on her mind.

She looked around, but Nancy was nowhere in sight. Had Alice left her in the bathroom? There were so many strange men around. It wasn’t safe for her to be alone.

“Where’s Nancy?” Bee asked, panicked.

“She found a gent on the way back from the toilet,” Alice laughed. “I think they took a detour into one of the guest rooms if you know what I mean.”

Alice winked at her, and it was the last thing that Bee remembered except for the smash of the glass as she dropped Nancy’s drink to the floor.

Chapter 3, Masterlist

#dieter bravo #dieter bravo x ofc #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo x oc #old hollywood #1950s au #wildest dreams #agentbrandy

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itsbrandy · 1 year ago

Text

Title: Wildest Dreams

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI, drug use, alcohol use, partying, mentions of sex, old timey sexism, additional warnings to be added.

Word Count: 5.7k

A/N: OFC is bi like Dieter. This story was inspired by, as you can see, the Wildest Dreams music video. I just had to see this story explored with Dieter. There is pov switching. Hope you like it!

Chapter 1 : Let's Get Out of This Town

Bee

“I’d like two slices of cherry pie and a glass of milk, please.”

Bee shook her head and tapped her pen against her notepad. The man sitting in the booth in front of her looked offended that she’d spaced out.

He was the wealthier type—nice clothes, a nice hat, a nice watch. He could be a talent scout. Bee gulped and put on her most dazzling smile. Like any wannabe Hollywood starlet, Bee knew that a nice smile behind red-painted lips went a long way in this town.

“I’m so sorry. Could you please repeat that?” Bee asked.

The man’s expression changed. His dark brows unfurrowed, and his eyes softened. “They working you too hard here?” he asked, setting the menu down.

“Um,” Bee cast a sideways glance at her boss. She could feel Steve’s eyes burning a hole into the side of her face from his perch behind the bar. She’d lingered too long at this table. “No, sir. Not at all. I think it’s just the heat. I really am sorry. What can I get for you?”

“Not used to the heat here in the City of Angels?” he asked.

Bee tapped her pen against her notepad. “No, not yet.”

She hated revealing that she was an out-of-towner, but she was an easy mark. These people could smell new blood like a shark in the water of Venice Beach. “What was it you wanted?” she asked again.

“Well, after seeing that pretty smile, I think I’ve changed my mind,” the man said. He held out a hand with a black business card. “I’m a talent scout. I’m looking for bright, fresh faces like you.”

“Oh, I’m not an actress,” Bee lied. She was, but Bee couldn’t be caught talking to scouts. Not at work, anyway. The grocery store, the parking lot, or anywhere else was fair game, according to Steve, but he would fire any waitress on the spot if they entertained talent scouts on the job. “I’m just a waitress, sir.”

Steve hated the scouts picking off his employees, and if he saw the exchange, the scout risked being kicked out of the restaurant. Bee would be without a job, and God knew she needed this job to pay the bills.

The man gave Bee a knowing look. He saw right through her lie and extended his arm with the business card in hand.

“Well, here’s my card,” the man said with a grin. “My name is Daniel. Give me a call if you change your mind. Try to do it away from your boss, though. He doesn’t look like he wants to lose you. You must be a good waitress.”

Bee quickly tucked the card into the front pocket of her apron. “And your order, sir?” Bee asked impatiently.

Steve had definitely seen, she thought. He must have seen it.

“Two slices of cherry pie and a glass of milk, please,” Daniel repeated his order.

“Two?” Bee inquired. “You meeting with someone?”

“No, miss,” Daniel said. “I just think this might be a good spot to hang around for a little bit.” He winked, and Bee scribbled down his order.

She looked over at the bar again to see if Steve was still watching her. Luckily, he’d moved on to cleaning the bar top and chatting with an older couple who sat there.

“I’ll have your order to you right away,” Bee said before tucking her notepad into her apron and leaving Daniel’s table.

She put the order in for one of the cooks to cut two slices of still-warm cherry pie and snuck around to the bathroom, but someone stopped in her way.

“Where are you going?” Nancy asked.

Nancy stepped around the corner from the kitchen with her hands on her hips, her light brown hair perfectly curled back away from her face. Bee couldn’t stop herself from looking at Nancy’s perfectly red-painted lips. She always perfected the cupid’s bow just right.

Bee still wasn’t sure if she stared out of jealousy or desire, but her roommate was straight as an arrow. They’d been friends since childhood, and Nancy had never given Bee any indication that she was interested in her.

“Bathroom,” Bee said, rolling her eyes. “You’re so nosy.”

“What did he give you?” Nancy asked. “Was that a card? Is he a talent scout? He looks like a talent scout.”

“Shh, Nanc, are you crazy?” Bee asked. “Steve could hear you.”

Nancy giggled and grabbed Bee’s hand.

“Come,” she said and dragged Bee all the way to the small, single-room bathroom. “It’s none of his business.”

Locking the door behind them, Nancy grabbed both of Bee’s hands. They felt warm in her own, and Bee could feel her heart thundering in her chest. What would someone think if they caught the two of them hiding out in a single bathroom? They wouldn’t have enough money to pay their rent if she and Nancy both got fired.

“Show me the card,” Nancy insisted. Her eyes were bright and captivating. “Please, who is he?”

“I don’t know,” Bee said. “I haven’t even looked yet.”

Nancy rolled her eyes and shoved her hand in Bee’s apron pocket.

“Give me that,” she said, pulling the black card out of the pocket. “Oh my! Good heavens, Bee, are you serious?”

“What? What?” Bee asked, trying to snatch the card away from Nancy. “Who is he?”

Nancy showed Bee the card. There wasn’t much information on it, but the card was printed in neat script with gold foiling on every letter.

Daniel Jones

Senior Casting Director

Paramount Pictures

And then, beneath, a phone number.

“Are you going to call him?” Nancy asked. “Bee, you have to call him. This could be your big break!”

“I’m not sure,” Bee said. “I don’t know if I believe that he really works for Paramount.”

Sure, the man looked wealthy. But Bee had been warned more than enough times to count that fake scouts existed to prey on women. Bee had very few acting roles, mainly in a local theatre back home. Her resume wasn’t exactly stacked enough for a Paramount role, no matter how small.

Los Angeles was a dog-eat-dog world, and right now, Bee and Nancy were both very, very small dogs.

“Paramount is huge. It’s the biggest studio right now,” Nancy said. Her blue eyes were wide with excitement. “Even if it’s a scam, it would be worth giving him a call.”

“I don’t know, Nancy,” Bee said. But she couldn’t argue with that reasoning. Even if it was a scam, Bee needed more roles. She needed more exposure if she was ever going to get her big break in Hollywood.

“We’ll fight more about this at home,” Nancy teased. “Don’t want the boss man to get suspicious.”

Nancy washed her hands, and Bee followed her lead. Before she left the bathroom, Bee had the thought to tuck the business card inside the lining of her bra rather than to risk it in her pocket.

“Thanks, Bee, you’re a lifesaver,” Nancy said loudly as they exited the bathroom together.

“Of course, Nancy,” Bee said, resisting the urge to laugh. Nancy was so good with her scheming. Steve wouldn’t dare question “women’s troubles.” He’d rather be caught dead than inquire.

“Thanks, Benny,” Bee said to the cook as she grabbed the scout’s order from the window. Benny gave her a starry-eyed look rather than responding.

Bee delivered both slices of cherry pie and the glass of milk to Daniel, the scout, careful not to make any conversation with him, and returned to her position near the bar to oversee her other tables.

The diner was mostly empty due to it being late on a Monday morning. People were at work, and housewives only brought their children in past lunchtime. Silver Screen Pie and Diner was a slightly upscale type of place, but it still followed all of the general rules of most diners.

Today, she only had the scout and an elderly couple to oversee, while Nancy had a pair of teens cutting class and a solo older man. It’d be a tough day on her wallet for tips, but the meager hourly pay was still worth it.

“Is that a scout?” Steve asked when Bee returned to the bar. He stood with his arms crossed behind the bar and glared at the scout from across the way.

“You know, I’m not sure,” Bee lied sheepishly. She grabbed a rag and started to wipe down the bar, wiping at its surface in circular motions.

“I just wiped it down,” Steve said. “It’s still wet.”

“Oh,” Bee said, stopping her cleaning. “Well, it’s good to be thorough.”

“No wasting time,” Steve said, stepping forward to hover over her. “Why don’t you go ahead and wipe down the kitchen floor?”

Wiping down the kitchen floor was the last thing Bee wanted to do. The kitchen floor was notoriously nasty and took forever to mop. If she washed the kitchen floor, she wouldn’t be able to take tables for at least an hour.

Bee grimaced. “I won’t be able to watch my tables then.”

“I know you were talking to him, and he’s a scout,” Steve grumbled. “You’re lucky I can’t afford to throw out good business on a slow Monday. Otherwise, I would.”

Steve stared her down, and Bee almost cracked under the pressure. But then she thought about how Nancy would react to this shakedown. Nancy was brave. She would continue to lie until she couldn’t anymore.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Bee said, playing dumb. “But Steve, if I can’t watch my tables, I won’t be able to make us more money.”

“Nancy will take them, then,” Steve said coldly. “Go. Do the kitchen floor. Now.”

“I–” Bee opened her mouth to speak, but she knew she was already on thin ice with her boss. She really did need the diner job even though the money was awful.

It was flexible enough for auditions and paid more than most places, but still, she and Nancy were rubbing together pennies by the end of the month. They were just lucky that Los Angeles wasn’t cold. Otherwise, they’d be freezing this winter without money for heat.

Bee tossed the rag back into the bin and headed to the kitchen without another word. As she left, she caught Nancy’s eyes for long enough to mouth “Sorry.” Nancy just shrugged. They shared their money anyway, so it wasn’t like Bee would be losing out on any tips she collected in Bee’s absence.

After just five minutes of mopping, Nancy snuck her way back into the kitchen to join Bee with a mischievous look on her face.

“Bee, he left,” she whispered.

“Huh?” Bee asked, looking up from the dirty swirl of grime on the floor.

“The scout left as soon as I was reassigned to his table,” Nancy said quietly. “It’s almost like he was just here for you. Left his cherry pie untouched and everything. Only one bite taken.”

“Maybe the pie was just terrible,” Bee said miserably. She squeezed the dirty water from the mop out into the bucket, and the water ran dark brown instead of clear.

“Or maybe you were all he needed to see. You have to call him when we get home,” Nancy said. “Promise me?”

Nancy did that thing again where she put her hands right on her hips, all sassy, but Bee wasn’t able to look at her for long.

Steve entered the kitchen from around the corner. His glasses were practically fogged up from how pissed he was. His usually pasty face was blotchy and red, and his mustache quivered with his fury.

“Out! Both of you!” Steve shouted. “I’ve warned you both enough times. No scouts, no Hollywood dreams, no nothing. You can dream about spreading your legs for the camera on your own time but not here. Not in my business.”

“Steve, it wasn’t Bee,” Nancy protested. “I swear, Bee had nothing to do with it.”

“Out!” He yelled again, and Bee dropped the mop out of her hands in fear. The wooden handle banged against the floor with a loud clack, which made her and Nancy both jump.

“I didn’t—” Bee stammered. But it was a lie, and Steve already saw right through their lies.

“What’s happening here?” Benny asked, returning from grabbing more milk from the refrigerator. Benny was sweet. He was innocent and kind. Bee couldn’t stand to watch him get punished for intervening on their behalf.

“I did,” Bee fessed up. “I took the card. I have his number. He was a talent scout.”

Steve smiled dangerously. “I knew it.”

“Benny, I’m going to need you to help me wait tables for the rest of the day,” Steve said.

“We won’t have any more waitresses for a while.”

“Sir, I swear it wasn’t Bee,” Nancy begged. “Please, don’t punish her for what I was doing.”

“I don’t care who did what,” Steve said. “You’re both done. Turn in your uniforms tomorrow. I’ll have your last paycheck in the mail as soon as I can.”

“But Steve, payday is tomorrow,” Nancy said. “We have bills to pay.”

Steve shrugged. “You both knew consulting with talent scouts was a fireable offense. Now get the fuck out of my restaurant.”

Bee looked at Nancy, whose red lips were puckered. Words of protest were held behind them, but she didn’t dare say them. Bee had never seen Nancy so defeated in all the years she’d known her.

They grew up together, went through high school together, and moved out to the big city. Never once did Nancy not stand up for what she believed in. But this was a fight that was unable to be won, and Nancy knew it. Bee knew it, too. She untied her apron and tossed it on the dirty kitchen floor. Then, she grabbed Nancy’s hand and pulled her along as they left the restaurant and walked out into the Los Angeles heat.

####

Dieter

“Dieter, do you have time for a few questions?” A reporter asked as soon as Dieter left the studio. The early afternoon sun had risen to a peak in the sky, causing him to squint. Dieter pulled his sunglasses case from his pocket and retrieved his shades.

No, he thought crankily. I sure don’t.

Appearances were important in Hollywood, though. Dieter couldn’t be seen treating people badly—it was bad for his image. Every minute detail of his contract was handcrafted to catch him in a public slipup.

“Sure,” Dieter said, putting on his sunglasses. He put on an easy smile and turned on the charm. His head was pounding. Early symptoms of withdrawal made his head throb and his mouth taste metallic.

He’d need a hit and fast unless he wanted to start puking. Ladies weren’t a fan of vomit breath. Neither were men, for that matter.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Bravo,” the reporter said. “So, I see you are exiting Paramount Studios. Are you here for a role? Have you been rehearsing?”

“No, I’m not, actually,” Dieter said. “I’m actually here for an audition.”

“Oh wow! Do you think you got it?”

“Not sure,” Dieter said with a wink. “But I do hope so.”

“Can you tell me more about the project?” the interviewer answered.

“Maybe some other time,” Dieter said, hoping to keep things mysterious.

By the time Dieter got home, his head was screaming in pain. He never brought pills with him when he went to the studio. It just wasn’t considered kosher, and Dieter had his strict agent contracts signed that forbade him from getting high in public.

That audition was a drag. Really it was a walk in the park, and his agent had already hinted that the role was in his hands.

The woman they’d cast for the leading lady spot was awful, though. She’d been stiff as a board when he kissed her. Not all the charm and flirtation in the world could have made her work well with him in that scene. If she was the reason he didn’t get the role… well, Paramount Pictures was bound to have a flop on its hands.

His phone rang, loud and annoying, setting off alarm bells in his head. He needed drugs, and now. The phone would have to wait.

He walked past the phone in the kitchen and straight to the living room, where a suede couch sat in front of a table with a wooden box atop it. The box was the key to his happiness. Pills, coke, and all the accoutrements he needed to get a fix all lay in one nice, decorative box.

Dieter sat on the couch and opened a new bottle of pills from his box. He crushed up two underneath a recipe book his stylist had out for show and snorted up the powder, letting out a sigh as the sting replaced the dull ache in his head.

“Shouldn’t have waited so long,” he mumbled to himself as the rush kicked in.

The phone rang again in the kitchen, its tone somehow louder and more insistent.

“I’m coming,” Dieter snarled. He pulled himself up off the couch and marched over to the phone. The receiver felt cool in his hand as he picked it up, and the room started to spin just as he answered.

“Hello,” he slurred into the receiver. “Dieter.”

“Are you hosting a party tonight?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Depends on whose asking,” Dieter said. “I wish my friends had phone manners.”

The person on the other end laughed. “It’s John.”

John. Oh, Dieter loved John. He’d spent days tangled up in the sheets with John and would gladly spend more of them. John always had the prettiest girlfriends, too. He’d bring them around when he wanted Dieter to have a taste of them, too. And they often would—three or more consensual adults in Dieter’s massive bed.

Come on, he slept in two kings pushed together for a reason. How else could you throw a good party?

“I wasn’t going to, but now I might,” Dieter groaned. “I had an audition today with a friend of yours. It has me in the mood for drinking.”

“You’re always in the mood for drinking,” John laughed.

“I mean, it was horrible,” Dieter clarified. “The audition couldn’t have gone worse.”

“Well, I can handle your guest list if you need a hand,” John said. “I’ve got a list of people who came to my birthday party last week. It was a real rager. So many hot women, I think I was hard the entire time.”

If Dieter were sober, he would have caught onto the fact that he’d obviously been left off said guest list. He hadn’t been invited to John’s birthday. But these days, Dieter was too far gone to notice that his friends had slowly but surely been cutting him out.

In fact, he hadn’t seen or heard from John in weeks.

“Mary Alice can’t act worth a damn,” Dieter was still stuck on the audition. “I kissed her for that audition, and she just stood there. No hands in my hair, nothing.”

“Ugh,” John said. “You love hands in your hair.”

“You’re damn right, I do love hands in my hair,” Dieter slurred. “Come over.”

“I will,” John said, a challenge in his voice. “But I’m bringing people. Do you have stuff?”

Dieter looked back at the box on his couch. Not enough stuff that he was willing to share…but he could always get more after today.

“Sure, yeah,” Dieter said. “I’ve got stuff. Bring bottles, though. I’m running low on vodka.”

“We can’t have that,” John teased. “I’ll be there around 9. I’ll bring vodka.”

“And women?” Dieter pouted.

“Yes, women,” John said.

John ended the conversation, and Dieter hung up the phone and made his way back to the couch. He crushed and snorted up another pill and laid back on the couch, waiting for John and the other partygoers to arrive.

He looked up at the clock. It was only 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Time to kill, Dieter thought.

####

Bee

Bee and Nancy were sweaty by the time they returned to their apartment, high on adrenaline and nerves. They chose to walk, knowing that together, they’d both lost their only sources of income. Even two bus tickets would land them further in the red.

“We’ll need to get ahold of the paper. I have some change saved up to buy tomorrow’s paper,” Bee said when they opened the door.

“Why do we need the paper?” Nancy asked.

“For the Help Wanted ads,” Bee said. “We’ll need new jobs as soon as possible.”

Nancy nodded. Her light eyes looked a little haunted. “I’m not moving back home.”

Bee gulped. Her memories of small-town life were not pleasant. She’d much rather be a small fish in a big pond than a tadpole in a puddle.

“We’re not moving back home. We’re going to make it,” Bee said.

“Good,” Nancy said, walking to her room to change out of her now-useless waitress uniform. “Hey, why tomorrow’s paper?”

“We don’t have today’s,” Bee said. It was 1 o’clock, and she was too tired to make the walk to the store and risk them being out of today’s paper.

“I’ll be right back,” Nancy said.

Nancy knocked on their neighbor’s door and sweetly asked if they could borrow today’s newspaper. She was always more bold than Bee was, more willing to put herself out there. If there was anyone who was a natural for Hollywood, it was Nancy.

Bee felt like she was struggling through every day in this city. She had trouble asking waitresses to remove the onions from her cheeseburgers. She’d rather just pick them off than have to inconvenience them.

“Thank you,” Bee said when Nancy handed her the newspaper.

She grabbed a pen and sat on the couch. Their living room was mostly bare. Their couch was a streetside find that Nancy had convinced a couple of college boys to help them haul back to their apartment. It was threadbare, with a huge hole in the back that Bee had tried to stitch more times than she could count.

Bee went through the newspaper, flipping through its pages and circling through waitressing jobs in the ‘Help Wanted’ section. Some gigs were ones Nancy would be good for, while others would be ones she was better suited for.

Nancy grew up with a big family back home. A job at a daycare or a school might be a great opportunity for more money. The only problem was that those jobs were decidedly less flexible. If Nancy worked at a school, she’d be less likely to pick up the rare auditions she had.

“Go change before you do that,” Nancy insisted. “Come on, I’ll make lunch.”

“I need to make a plan at least,” Bee said. “We’re going to make this work.”

Nancy’s eyes were gentle but sad.

“We have two weeks 'til rent is due, Bee,” Nancy said. “We have time to take a breath.”

Bee wasn’t convinced. She wasn’t alive during the crash of the 20s, but she’d heard enough stories about the financial crisis from her parents that she was traumatized by it. Being a struggling artist was one thing—being homeless in a big city like L.A.? A completely different story.

Bee was supposed to be the responsible one of the two of them. Years ago, when she and Nancy had finally made the decision to get out of their small town and venture out to the West Coast, Nancy’s parents had made Bee promise she would keep her safe. Getting fired from the diner was the exact opposite of keeping their daughter safe.

“I just need to do this, Nanc,” Bee lied. “It’ll make me feel better.”

But it wouldn’t make her feel better. Not really. Bee wouldn’t feel better until they had income. In order to have income, they needed to have new jobs. Ones with stability, ones that they could depend on to keep them safe. Living alone in a large city as two single women was dangerous. Living on the street could have them dead. There were serial killers here, murderers here.

Bee circled another possible fit for Nancy, but she failed to connect the shape all the way around. Nancy’s hand was on her hand, stopping the circle from making a full connection.

“What?” Bee asked. Her heart pounded in her throat, fluttering arrhythmia.

“Call the casting man,” Nancy said.

Bee’s eyes widened. Calling the talent scout was the least of their priorities. She should be calling every diner in Los Angeles, not Daniel from Paramount Pictures.

“I’m serious,” Nancy said. “What do you have to lose now? Before, you were scared that Steve would find out. Well, guess what? Steve did find out. That ship has already sailed. Now, you might as well make a go at it.”

“What if it’s not real?” Bee said. “What if he’s one of those scary men we’ve been warned about.”

There were always rumors in the city about fake casting directors taking advantage of their ability to lure unassuming girls in. Bee was always more wary of them than Nancy was—it was just the nature of their relationship.

Bee was the responsible one, Nancy was the one who took risks. Together, they were an unstoppable pair. They’d made it so far, and that was saying something. Moved into the city on their own, secured an apartment, and secured jobs…at some point.

Nancy gave her a look that was placating. Her light eyes were filled with something Bee couldn’t quite describe. It was almost like she was worried about her because she didn’t really want to take a chance with this phone call.

And why was she so nervous about it? Bee wasn’t really sure, but there was something about the fact that the scout had only noticed her that bothered her. She didn’t like the idea of making it big without Nancy. Their plan was to move to Hollywood and get famous together, not separately.

The scout had his opportunity to give Nancy his card, and he didn’t. He left instead.

“Come on, Bee,” Nancy said, squeezing her hand. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I could die,” Bee joked. “You could die.”

“Dying is inevitable,” Nancy said. “Reaching your dreams? Now, that’s the goal.”

Nancy pulled her up by the hand she held and led her to their telephone on their light yellow kitchen counter. Bee pulled Daniel’s card from her bra and dialed the number with shaky hands. She set it down on the counter, and Nancy looked on eagerly.

“Mention that you have a friend,” she whispered, tapping her fingernails against the countertop.

“He’s going to think we’re harlots,” Bee laughed.

“Well, if it comes up in the conversation, will you think of me?” Nancy asked.

“Of course I will,” Bee said, looking into her eyes. “I’ll always think of you.”

A flush rose to Nancy’s cheeks that Bee couldn’t help but notice. There it was again, that tension that popped up between them from time to time.

Bee resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She’d gone too long without letting a stranger kiss her on a date to the movies and cop a feel in the dark. What was wrong with her? Before she had the chance to answer her own question, the phone started dialing out, and a man answered on the second ring.

“Paramount Pictures, Daniel speaking,” he said.

Bee recognized the voice on the other line. It was the man from the diner this morning, unmistakably.

Nancy smiled at her and nodded at her with encouragement.

“Hi, Daniel,” Bee said nervously. Her words got caught in her throat, and before she could say her own name, Daniel started talking again.

“Hello, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” Daniel asked.

“This is Bee,” she said. “I was your waitress this morning at Silver Screen Pie and Breakfast. You gave me your card, so I was just calling to reach out.”

“Ahh, with the beautiful smile,” Daniel said. “I was wondering if you would call me. You seemed so hesitant to take my card. Most girls snatch it out of my hand as soon as it appears. You are an actress, aren’t you?”

Bee laughed. “Yes, I am. My resume is, um…small at the moment. But I am flexible and ready for new roles.”

“Good!” Daniel said excitedly. “Very good. Have you been in front of the camera before or just on the stage?”

“Um,” Bee said. She’d never been in front of the camera. Not for real, at least. She’d auditioned with a screen test once but didn’t get that role.

“Lie,” Nancy whispered, eavesdropping on the conversation. “Say you have.”

“It’s okay if you haven’t,” Daniel bailed her out. “I can tell an expressive face made for the screen when I see one, and you clearly have it. Let me guess, local theatre?”

“Yes,” Bee said. “I’m always willing to learn new things, though.”

“It won’t take much learning for you,” Daniel said. His voice was kind, and something in it made Bee want to trust him despite the many horror stories she’d heard. “Listen, I’m really glad you called this afternoon. I’m kind of in a bit of a bind. We have a role that we are looking into recasting here at Paramount. It’s a big film, a romance with a pretty big male lead. The problem is, our female lead we’d cast? No chemistry. Zero.”

“Oh,” Bee said, uncertain as to how to respond. She didn’t want to bad mouth another actress.

“Anyway, all that’s to say, I have a very big open role. The only requirement is that there’s chemistry. You’re a natural talent, and as long as you’re teachable, you’ll be a star. Does that sound good?” Daniel asked.

“It does,” Bee said excitedly. “I am willing to learn. I’d love to have the opportunity to learn.”

“Great,” Daniel said. “Do you have transportation?”

Bee looked to Nancy for confirmation, asking silently if she could use their savings for a bus pass. Nancy nodded and gave her a look that said, “Of course.”

“I can hear you hesitating. It’s not a problem. The audition is at Paramount Pictures,” Daniel said. “At our main studio here in Hollywood. If you have trouble with transportation, I can send a private taxi to pick you up. What time works for you?”

“Any time,” Bee blurted. “I am available at any time.”

Daniel laughed. “How does tomorrow at 2 p.m. sound?”

“Perfect,” Bee said. “Tomorrow at 2 p.m. is perfect.”

Nancy covered her mouth and squealed into her own hand. She jumped up and down in place and spun around, her curls bouncing as she did.

“What’s your address?” Daniel asked.

“1545 Spring Street,” Bee said. She was a bit embarrassed to give out their address. They didn’t live in the best part of town. “Apartment 3A.”

“I’ll have a car there at 2 p.m.,” Daniel said. “I’ll meet you at the studio, and we’ll have a chat before your audition. I can give you some pointers on what the directors want to see, but I can tell you that out of the girls I have auditioning tomorrow, you’re my top pick. There’s not much you can do to mess this up!”

Bee frowned. “How is that so?”

“Huh?” Daniel asked.

“I just…” Bee trailed off, lost in her thought. She was skeptical. It all sounded too good to be true. The private car, the role that someone else just lost, but she could win with one good audition. Toss in the fact that she was the apparent favorite? Was this some sort of scam?

“I only mean that you have the right look,” Daniel said. “That’s all. You still have to show them that you can act and interact with our leading man.”

“Right,” Bee said. “Okay, I understand.”

She was still wary, but Daniel’s explanation checked out. Women weren’t well-respected in Hollywood. As long as you had the right look and got noticed, you could go far. Bee had seen enough movies with subpar performances from pretty faces to confirm just as much.

“Tomorrow at 2 p.m.,” Daniel confirmed.

“Yes,” Bee agreed. “Thank you so much. I look forward to it.”

“Not as much as I do,” Daniel said. “Have a great rest of your day, Bee.”

“The same to you,” Bee said. And then she hung up the phone.

Nancy rushed into her arms the second she set the receiver down, wedging her way against Bee’s chest.

“You did it!” Nancy squealed against her neck. “I’m so proud of you!”

“It’s all because you encouraged me,” Bee said. She pulled back from the hug and smiled at her. Their faces were so close, and something in the back of Bee’s mind told her she should tread carefully. “Can I go back to circling jobs?”

“Heavens, no!” Nancy said. “You should go take a well-deserved nap. I will circle the jobs.”

Bee couldn’t argue with that. Though, she was a little unsure if she’d be able to sleep after all the excitement of the day. She was exhausted, and taking a quick nap sounded like just the mental break she needed.

She woke to a knock on her door, and the sun was already well on its way below the horizon. Nancy stood at her door, half-dressed and one eye beautifully painted, with a makeup brush clutched in her hand like a knife. She had hot rollers in her hair, and the smell of fresh perfume assaulted Bee’s senses.

“Do you remember that girl who I took that acting class with?” Nancy asked. “Alice.”

“Yeah,” Bee said sleepily. “Did she call?”

“Yes,” Nancy said, bouncing on her heels. “She got invited to a party and said they want more girls. You know, the best formula for a good party is way more girls than guys.”

“Uh huh,” Bee said. She rubbed at her eyes and blinked. “Are you going to go with her?”

“Yes, and so are you,” Nancy said, deadly serious. “It’s at Dieter Bravo’s house. We have to go.”

Chapter 2, Masterlist

#dieter bravo #dieter bravo x oc #dieter bravo x ofc #old hollywood #1950s au #wildest dreams #dieter bravo fanfiction

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itsbrandy · 1 year ago

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Wildest Dreams Chapter 4

Wildest Dreams

Chapter 4: He's So Bad

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI, drug use, smoking, old timey sexism, swearing,

Word Count: 4.9k

Dieter

“It’s intimidating. Very intimidating,” Bee had said.

Dieter tried to hold her gaze, but he felt like he’d lost her. She was off somewhere else, puzzling away what had just happened in that audition room. Staff were shouting all around them, directing people to be silent on sets while others were loudly rehearsing. Techs wheeled massive carts of equipment past on squeaky wheels, yet Bee stood solid in front of him.

He thought, for a moment, that she’d been a dream. Something willowy and wispy that if he reached out and tried to grab her, she’d simply turn to ash.

Dieter had been far from sober the night before, his mind toiling and troublesome.

Fucking John.

He’d gotten him so headfucked that it was a miracle Dieter had made it out of bed this morning. In fact, when he’d awoken, it was John in his bed, tangled up with some wannabe Hollywood starlet in the sheets. There was not a scrap of comforter on top of Dieter’s body.

“Well, congratulations,” Dieter said with a grin, shoving away the memory. “I look forward to working with you.”

Bee nodded.

“The pleasure is all mine,” she said earnestly. “Have you ever done a movie in Africa? I’ve heard it’s very hot.”

“Never,” Dieter said. “It will be a real treat.”

Bee and her friend looked at one another and smiled.

Nancy, the brunette, placed a gentle hand on the exposed skin of Bee’s forearm in a move that made Dieter’s heart start pounding.

How unfair.

He knew that touch better than anyone, how John would make a subtle play, just a caress that would look otherwise normal but held so much more meaning.

God, his heart ached.

“Anyway,” Dieter interjected, trying once again to right his brain. “You two ladies are both very talented. Where did you say you studied again?”

Bee gave an answer, but Dieter wasn’t really listening. He was caught up on the way her lips moved, the way the gloss that sat atop them caught in the light, the way the noise in the background lulled to a sudden stop.

His pills had kicked in.

Finally. It was about fucking time.

“Gotta run—sorry,” Dieter said, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “Sorry, we’ll chat later, I’m sure. Congrats on the roles, girls. You earned them! Great work!”

As he rushed away from them, another tech cart loaded with equipment whizzed by impossibly fast, careening down the hall. Well-–it hadn’t been fast; it was just that Dieter hadn’t noticed it. The cart collided with his body, clipping his shoulder painfully. The force of the collision sent Dieter all the way to the ground, and a painful cry wrenched from his mouth.

A series of hushes rung out from a nearby set that had been rolling.

Fuck.

“Are you alright?” Bee asked. She hovered over him, and all Dieter saw was dark eyes and dark hair falling down around her. She looked like a painting, and he wanted to reach out and smudge her face away.

Bee was too pretty. Distractingly pretty.

She was almost pretty enough to make Dieter forget about John.

About his face and his laugh and his strong frame. Dieter even loved his wrongs to go with his rights—his lies, his drugs, his drinking, his sleeping around. That’s how Dieter knew he had it bad. That and the fact that even when he got high, he couldn’t stop thinking about how badly it hurt that John didn’t really want him.

“I’m fine,” Dieter lied, propping himself up on his hands. “I can’t believe that tech. Can you believe that tech?” He turned his ire to the tech in question. “Can you fucking learn to watch where you’re going? I have a flight to Africa in a matter of days to film this studio’s next big movie. Can you imagine what would happen if you’d put me in a hospital? You would be personally responsible for the failure of this movie studio. Personally responsible. You.”

“I’m so sorry, sir,” the tech apologized.

He was young, just a kid, really, and he looked like he wanted to spill the truth—that it was Dieter who hadn’t been paying attention, not him. If he hadn’t been high, Dieter might have felt bad for lying, but he didn’t.

“Who is your supervisor? No, better yet, get to where you’re needed. I won’t have you wasting any more of this studio’s time. First, you’ve injured a star. Next, you’ll have been late and set a production schedule back,” Dieter sucked on his teeth. “Get out of here, kid.”

“Yes, sir,” the tech said, not needing to be told twice.

When Dieter turned his attention back to Bee and Nancy, Bee was collecting stray cigarettes from the ground on her hands and knees.

They must have gone flying when the collision happened. She tucked them all neatly into his box and handed it to him.

“Here,” Bee said. “Your cigarettes.”

“Thank you,” Dieter said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“And you didn’t have to scare that poor kid,” Bee pointed out.

“Bee,” Nancy hissed, shocked that her friend had been so bold to call Dieter out on his lies.

Bee looked at Nancy with wide eyes and shrugged.

But Dieter liked that Bee had confronted him. He knew he was fucked up and that he did fucked up things. There needed to be more people like Bee in this world, people who weren’t afraid to stand up to the things they found wrong.

Bee stood and brushed her skirt with her hands, smoothing it down and removing any specks of grime or dust that it had caught while she was on the ground.

Dieter followed her lead and peeled himself from the floor, cigarettes in hand and a head full of dizzying thoughts. It was time to go before he really said something idiotic and ruined everything. This was his costar now, after all. He’d have to spend weeks and weeks with her while they camped in the African savannah filming a romance movie.

“Right, well,” Dieter said, removing a cigarette from the box and tucking it between his lips. “I’d best be off. I’ll see you at rehearsals, Bee. Nice to meet you, Nancy.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Nancy said, reaching her hand out.

Dieter didn’t take it. He was too busy lighting his cigarette to notice.

“See you,” Bee called out after him.

For a moment, Dieter thought to say something back to her, but then another fleeting thought swept in to replace it, and the urge was gone. He walked down the hallway, inhaling smoke deep into his lungs. # Bee “You’re going to be great,” Nancy said as she brushed a comb through Bee’s hair.

“You’ve already gotten the role, remember? And there’s no way they can replace you or fire you this late. They need to get your papers together to send you to Africa, Bee. Freaking Africa. I’m so excited for you. You have no idea.”

Nancy had ribbons and hair spray set out to do Bee’s hair special for her first day of rehearsal. She’d also made Bee breakfast and had it sitting out ready for her to enjoy before Bee even rolled out of bed. It was these things, these acts of affection, that really made Bee wonder if there was something here that made her and Nancy more than friends.

Well, that and the kiss they’d shared at Dieter Bravo’s house. They hadn’t exactly debriefed that one, had they?

“Thank you, Nancy,” Bee said. “I know, I’m just nervous. You know how I get.”

“Miserable?” Nancy asked. “Annoying?”

Bee laughed. Yeah, that was a fair assessment. She got mopey when she was anxious and felt like the world was going to crumble down around her.

“Well, at least you don’t get three sheets to the wind at all times like Dieter Bravo,” Bee could see how Nancy shook her head with judgment in the mirror. “What a sorry soul. I can’t believe you got down and grabbed his cigarettes for him like that. And how could he lie to that poor boy’s face? He had to know what really happened.”

Bee frowned as Nancy ran the comb through her hair again.

“Hurt people hurt people, isn’t that what they say?” Bee asked. “He’s got problems, obviously. There’s something that he’s running from.”

“I suppose,” Nancy said, but it didn’t sound like she totally agreed. She likely thought he was just another drug fiend in Hollywood. “I still think he should be held accountable for his actions.”

“Well, of course,” Bee said. “I’m just saying I understand, is all. He’s obviously going through something.”

Nancy set the comb down and moved to grab a ribbon.

“That or he’s let the fame go to his head. I’ve seen it happen to far too many girls in Hollywood. They get one big role, and then they blow up their entire lives. Too much alcohol, too many drugs, too many random men, and before you know it, they’re pregnant and never see the flash of a camera ever again. That’s what happened to Betty from school.”

“I thought she had to go back to Iowa,” Bee mused.

“Why do you think she had to go?” Nancy’s voice rose up a notch to prove her point. “You can’t raise a baby in Hollywood with no job and no man.”

Nancy changed her mind and grabbed the comb again, smoothing out a section of hair at the back of Bee’s head.

Then, she stopped, putting a hand on her hip and pointing at the mirror with the comb to prove her point.

“And I heard that now, she’s just an addict in Iowa. Her momma is raising that baby, and she’s still addicted to all that fancy stuff she tried while she was out here in Los Angeles. Except, they don’t make it nice and clean like they do here. The drugs there are dirty, and they make you dirty, too. I bet she’s lost all her teeth by now.”

Bee made a face. She thought it was ugly when Nancy talked like this—she knew part of it was out of warning. Nancy really didn’t want Bee to cozy up to Dieter Bravo. She’d said as much the night before when they arrived back home from the studio. But part of this rhetoric and this speech was one of Nancy’s deeper flaws.

Nancy was competitive at heart, even though Bee thought she had no reason to be.

Nancy had everything. She was white, stunning, fit, trim, pretty, talented, smart. Every positive adjective in the dictionary fits Nancy to a perfect point.

But at her core, Nancy was jealous, and she loved to compare herself to other women.

Perhaps the best thing of all to Nancy was when another woman who was “just as good as her” fell from grace.

That was perhaps Nancy’s favorite thing, and Bee hated it.

The phone rang in the kitchen, and Nancy dropped the comb. “Oh shit, that’s Alice.”

Bee looked on hopelessly as Nancy darted from the room to answer the phone.

“Alice,” Bee said numbly. That was a reminder that she didn’t need. In the excitement of landing her first big role and meeting Dieter Bravo for the second time, and learning all her lines overnight, she’d forgotten that her new nemesis was coming to Africa with them.

Bee was left alone to finish getting ready in order to make it to rehearsal on time. As she finished putting ribbons in her hair and pinning it up just how she liked it, she tried her best to hum to herself to block out the endless giggling from the phone in the kitchen.

At least Alice was coming with her to Africa. Bee had to spin this fact in her head to make it less miserable. She wasn’t leaving Nancy behind with Alice unattended. Instead, she was stuck with her.

****

The town car that picked her up was just as nice as the one on the way to the audition had been, but this time, Bee sat alone in the backseat. Nancy hadn’t even gotten off the phone long enough to give her a proper goodbye before Bee left for the studio.

Bee was annoyed. How did Alice have the time to chat on the phone all morning? Didn’t she have to rehearse, too?

They were leaving in a matter of days. Bee held her documents close to her chest. She needed to turn them in to the directors so they could properly arrange her ticket to Africa. More specifically, they were traveling to South Africa, which was under British rule.

As Bee walked into the studio, she found that it was just as chaotic as it had been the day before despite the early hour. Filming was already going on, and shouts of “Quiet on set!” lit up Bee’s ears.

There was a woman at the front door who paraded Bee back to where they would be rehearsing for the movie–simply titled The Africa Project at the moment. It was top secret, something that the press wouldn’t be notified of until it was deemed allowed by marketing.

"The movie was to be a sort of experiment", the woman explained. The studio hadn’t yet caught up with others in the area of destination filming, and they were still weighing the cost of filming in a foreign country with the benefits of an immersive experience.

Bee listened in careful wonder. She couldn’t believe that she’d been chosen for such a groundbreaking endeavor.

If this project were successful, her name would never be forgotten. She’d be known throughout the history of film. When one day, the silver screen would be replaced by something bigger and brighter, people would remember those who came at the forefront, just like people already revered the silent film stars of the past and the stars of the stage.

The Roberts brothers were busy bickering in their chairs in front of the rehearsal stage, but Bee rolled her shoulders back and approached them with ease.

She injected confidence into her personality, just as she’d been taught in her acting classes.

“Good morning, sirs,” Bee said. She held out her packet of documents. “I was told to hand in these documents today for my ticket.”

The oldest two didn’t even look at her. They were too engrossed in their conversation.

The youngest brother, however, grabbed her folder from her and tossed it on the ground, where it fell with a loud smack.

“Thanks,” he said. “Now, places. We’re just waiting on Dieter.”

Bee felt like she’d been slapped. She blinked a few times, recovering from the harshness of the man’s tone.

“Yes, sir,” Bee said.

Bee wasn’t quite sure where places was supposed to be, as the directors hadn’t yet said which scene or part of the film they were to be rehearsing, but she walked up to the stage anyway and stood with her back straight at center stage.

She waited, hands folded in front of her, and she made sure to wiggle her knees every once in a while to avoid passing out.

She’d learned the hard way in church when she was young that locked knees would send you to the ground in a hurry.

Of course, they were waiting on Dieter. Despite her frustration that she was being left waiting even though she’d been perfectly on time, she couldn’t help but worry for him. When he’d left her behind at the studio the day before, he hadn’t been himself.

Or maybe he had been himself, and that was the issue.

A group of techs brought a table and two chairs onto the stage and didn’t say anything to Bee that let her know to get out of the way, instead shoving her aside with their bodies as if she didn’t even exist.

Bee would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t flustered.

What the hell was the matter with this studio? She’d acted before, had decent roles before, and never before had she been treated like this. Sure, she’d been overlooked before, had men talk badly about her body before, but she’d never been selected for a role and been treated like she was invisible by the staff that was below her.

Bee looked to the directors, hoping they would say something, but they didn’t. They were still embroiled in their argument, so entrenched that Bee found that she was curious enough to listen in.

“I’m telling you,” the youngest brother said. “He’s unreliable. How can we take him to Africa when he’s practically a drug fiend?”

“He likes to party,” the oldest said. “That’s all. When it comes to work, Dieter is very reliable. I’ve worked with him many times, and I’ve had no issues on set. What actor of his fame and stature doesn’t party in their time off?”

“Time off?” the middle brother chimed in. “How many times now has he shown up like this? I think this is hardly a hobby he partakes in during his ‘time off.’”

“Fine,” the youngest brother said. “I mean, we’re not in a position to find a replacement, but if you’re really worried, let’s use today as a test. I’m confident that he will show up today completely sober. It’s a rehearsal day, a work day. Yesterday didn’t count. We weren’t rehearsing anything, we weren’t filming anything. It was totally off the books.”

The other two brothers exchanged a look that was all doubt.

Bee had to be honest with herself. She’d heard the rumors; she’d seen Dieter under the influence first-hand, not once but twice now. She didn’t know him well, but even she wasn’t entirely certain that she’d wager him showing up to rehearsal sober.

“Sure,” the oldest brother said. “And if he doesn’t, then we discuss replacing him.”

The middle brother agreed with a nod. “We can’t take him to Africa if he doesn’t get his act together. South Africa is under British colonial rule, but the politics there are dicey. If he gets in trouble with drugs in Africa, it will serve as a disaster for the studio. We can’t have that.”

“Agreed,” the youngest brother said.

It was as they were shaking on their agreement that Dieter Bravo himself rounded the corner. Bee didn’t mean to, but she stiffened, fixing her posture and accidentally locking her knees.

“Hello!” Dieter said, announcing his presence. He was all loud, all energetic, so unlike he’d been the day before at the audition. When he’d been hungover, he’d seemed so down, so depressed.

Dieter walked past the directors, almost as if he knew what they’d been speaking about before he entered the rehearsal space. He made straight for the stage, walking right up to Bee.

He gave her a goofy smile. “Good to see you again, Bee.”

“Good to see you too, Dieter,” Bee said. She started to feel dizzy, started feeling like she was going to fall backwards, and she suddenly thought to unlock her knees and shake out the stiffness.

“Locked knees?” Dieter asked.

“Yes,” Bee admitted sheepishly.

“You’ll get used to it,” Dieter offered, and Bee flushed bright red.

He thought she was too novice to know better than to lock her knees. It was rudimentary, something that all stage and film actors knew better than to do, and she’d done it right in front of him on her first day.

Dieter still had a goofy look on his face, something so uncharacteristic that it gave Bee pause and made her forget about how embarrassed she’d just been.

Is he high? Bee thought. She didn’t know him well enough to be able to tell, but he was just acting so odd that she couldn’t help but wonder.

She didn’t dare ask him or let onto her thoughts. The conversation between the directors was fresh in her mind, and she couldn’t risk the future of the movie based on an assumption.

“Which scene are we doing first?” Dieter asked. He tapped his temple with his finger. “I’ve got all of my lines memorized. I can start anywhere, anytime. Preferably a kissing scene.”

The directors laughed from their seats below the stage, and Bee laughed along for fear of sticking out like a sore thumb.

“Act One, the confrontation at the table in the safari tent,” the youngest Roberts brother said. “We want Dieter in the chair he’s closest to now and Bee in the chair opposite. But Bee, if you’ll remember, you don’t take a seat until halfway through this scene.”

Bee nodded her affirmation, and Dieter heaved a sigh.

The way Dieter took his seat shook the stage beneath Bee’s feet. He didn’t quite sit as much as he threw his full body weight into the chair.

“Oops!” Dieter said with a slight giggle that had Bee narrowing her eyes at him.

How could he not be high? Dieter’s character was a deadly serious explorer, not a silly man in the slightest. So, he wasn’t in character for himself or the role he was meant to play.

The Roberts brothers weren’t paying attention, though. Instead, they leafed through the script, looking for the correct place where they wanted Bee and Dieter to start.

Bee remembered this scene. It was a confrontation between her character and Dieter’s, where she would demand to be able to remain on the expedition. Dieter’s character wanted her gone. He thought that having a woman on the scientific exploration of the savannah was a liability, but really, he was just too in love with her to trust himself to separate work and play.

She started to run through the lines in her head, summoning up the rage that her character would feel at that moment. How dare he cast her off just because she was a woman. She’d worked so hard to study the African animals. She’d been hired to take notes for him, and she was damn good at it.

Hell, she was already here, sweating and uncomfortable in the African sun. How could he send her home now?

“Alright, we’re ready,” the youngest Roberts brother said, giving them a thumbs up.

Bee pulled herself out of her head and looked to Dieter to make sure he was also ready to start the scene. It was his line that went first in this scene.

But when Bee looked at Dieter, she noticed that there was something wrong with him.

Gone was the goofy look on his face he’d given her before. Now, he looked tired. His eyes were unfocused, zoned out on the table as if he found the wood grain very interesting.

“Dieter,” Bee said.

She was about to ask him if he was alright, but then Dieter was shaking, and his bottom lip was quivering. He kept biting at it as if causing pain to himself would make it stop.

“Uhh,” Dieter droned. He started to list out of his chair, drooping toward the floor.

“Hey,” Bee said, gripping his forearms with her hands. “Hey, are you okay? Dieter, are you with me?”

“Yeah,” Dieter mumbled. His eyes were closing and opening, lids fluttering. “Don’t…feel…good.”

“I know,” Bee said. She looked over to the Roberts brothers. They were distracted again, caught up in their own world.

Bee had to get him out of here somehow, some way that would get him help without forfeiting the movie. This wasn’t fair. Dieter was a hard worker. He’d shown up to work—he just had a problem.

“I have to go to the ladies’ room really quickly,” Bee said loud enough for the Roberts brothers to hear. “Dieter volunteered to show me the way while you finish your discussion.”

“Sure,” was the answer she received. So, she pulled Dieter up from the chair and forced him forward, hoping that he would cling to consciousness long enough for her to get him out of view.

“Come on, stay awake,” she said to him as they walked. “They can’t see you like this.”

Dieter got it together quickly once she told him that. He was still shaking slightly, still biting his lip, but he walked much straighter.

“What do you need? What will help you sober up?” she hissed under her breath. They were just out of earshot of the Roberts brothers.

They stood in a dark enclave in between two rehearsal spaces. If they stayed quiet, the many people who walked past wouldn’t cast them a second glance. People were too busy to pay them any mind.

“Cigarette,” Dieter mumbled.

“Lean against the wall,” she instructed, and Dieter obliged.

Bee summoned up some courage and shoved her hands into Dieter’s front pockets in search of his cigarettes and lighter. She pulled a cigarette from the pack and placed it to her lips, striking the lighter as she inhaled to light it. Then, she took a drag, simply because she deserved it, before passing the cigarette over to Dieter.

He puffed greedily, relishing in the nicotine. Bee didn’t know much about mixing substances, but she could see how adding an upper after a downer would help him feel better.

“We have to get through at least one scene,” Bee coached him. “The Roberts brothers don’t want to see you high anymore at rehearsals or filming. I heard them talk about firing you if they see you this way. Do you understand?”

Dieter exhaled a huff of smoke and nodded. “What do we do after one scene?”

“I’m going to say I have a ladies’ issue, and then I’m going to escort you home. I need to make sure you get there safely. Understood?”

“You don’t need to do that,” Dieter protested, but he wasn’t one to talk. He was still leaning his full weight against the wall while he was quickly smoking his cigarette.

“Oh, but I do,” Bee said. “And if they try to fire me because I’m asking to leave early, you have to stand up for me. Do you understand?”

“You’re asking an inebriated man to understand quite a bit,” Dieter said.

“Beggars can’t be choosers. You don’t have many choices here.” Dieter heaved a sigh and tossed the remains of his cigarette on the ground, stamping it under his boot. Bee tried her best to reserve judgment about the littering and the fire risk of throwing still-lit cigarettes on the ground indoors.

“Another, please,” he said, reaching out for the box of cigarettes in her hand.

Bee obliged him, lighting another cigarette for him and passing it over.

“Be quick. We need to get back,” she snapped.

She hadn’t meant to sound so mean, but she was getting anxious. Was she really going to cover for him at the risk of her own career? Yes, she was, but only because she was afraid of what it would mean for the whole movie if they fired Dieter. At least with her taking the fall, there was still a chance that production could go on. It was a risk but a calculated one.

As long as Dieter held up his end of the deal and covered for her properly, she shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

“Wouldn’t it be more believable that you were having a ladies’ problem if you took long in the bathroom?” Dieter raised an eyebrow. “I think that would go along with our story well.”

He had a point.

“Fine,” Bee conceded.

“Good,” Dieter said gruffly. “Fuck, I’m going to need to sleep this one off.”

“What did you even take, Dieter?”

Dieter pursed his lips. “You know, I’m not really sure. It was something new and then I think I did a line or two before I headed out the door. Could’ve been more in-between that I don’t remember.”

Bee frowned. “That sounds dangerous.”

Dieter shrugged and took another drag. He pushed himself off from the wall, more steady now on his own feet.

Bee didn’t fully buy that smoking cigarettes was the cure for his condition, but if it worked long enough for them to get through one scene, that was all she could ask for.

****

“You’re awake,” Bee said with surprise.

She’d checked on Dieter every hour for the past three hours in a row, walking into his bedroom and turning the light on to make sure he was still breathing. He was tucked gently under the covers, hardly moving as he slept off his bender.

This time, though, when she walked into Dieter’s room, he was stirring, starting to sit up in bed, looking thoroughly confused. His dark brown eyes looked tired, and his brow was furrowed.

Bee reached out to touch him but then jerked her hand back, letting it fall. She didn’t want to startle him. It was bad enough that he likely didn’t remember getting home, let alone waking up to a stranger in his house.

He’d made it through their scene but not for much longer after that. Bee had arranged a town car quickly, and he’d passed out as soon as the two of them climbed into the backseat.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked. “I took you home after rehearsal, remember?”

“I’m alive,” Dieter mused. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the strands near the front. “Fuck, I have a headache. Do you have any whiskey?”

Bee choked back a laugh. “No, I don’t. And you need something else that starts with a ‘w.’”

“What’s that?” Dieter frowned.

“Water,” Bee insisted, furnishing a glass from the bedside table. “Drink up.”

Dieter looked at the glass of water like he hoped it was vodka instead.

“Fine,” he said. Then he looked up at her with something unreadable in his dark eyes. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Bee said. “When you finish that, we need to talk.”

Chapter 5 Masterlist

#dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo x oc #dieter bravo x ofc #dieter bravo #dieter and bee universe #agentbrandy #1950s au #old hollywood #wildest dreams

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