#the gentle “hm...Thena” really has her by the heartstrings

[softquietsteadylove]

For the Thenamesh Actor AU.

Both of them shooting a new movie. And they are filming 4 days straight. And Gil has the most challenging, longest and hardest scenes to shoot because of the stunts. So when they take a an hour break Thena is looking for him only to find him exhausted and asleep on the ground leaning against the wall with his lunch on his lap.

Some soft quiet moment with them :)

Everyone was at their breaking point--they were down to the wire on re-shoots and last minute changes. People were exhausted and worried about deadlines and stressed about their jobs. And a lot of the bigger stunts had been left until this late point in the schedule specifically out of worry for the actors.

Really, it was Gil: they couldn't afford to lose any time with him.

The film was so stunt-heavy, so demanding, so action packed. And while it was commendable and would look great, the decision not to use editing to cut around hard stunts and difficult fight scenes did mean frontloading the work on the actual filming of the scenes.

Poor Gil hadn't had a break in days. Not a real break, that was to say. Sure, he got lunch, he got to go home. But his schedule was so demanding that it could hardly be considered rest. He had even stopped going all the way home and simply dragged himself to his trailer for a few hours of power napping between days.

Thena had argued several times, with several people, at this point. It wasn't right to work him this hard--it wasn't humane! They had actual union stunt workers for a reason, didn't they?!

But even with an actual stunt double for Gil, it was minimal coverage at best. Gil was still the one needed for the bulk of the scene, again because of the decision not to rely on editing or shakycam. It was always visibly Gil on the top of some 18-wheeler, or fighting in a train carriage, or wrestling someone in the rain.

"Cut!"

Loud groans were heard as they finally cleared for lunch. Gil dragged himself off the soundstage and down the steps. He looked exhausted, "hey."

"Gil," Thena frowned, skipping right over any light chitchat, walking with him to craft services. "You have to tell them you need a break. I'm worried about you."

He smiled at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling as she put a plate in his hands and started piling up food onto it. "That's sweet, Thena. But it's just a little bit more."

"You said that last week," she frowned at him. Last week was her official wrap, but she kept hovering around just to keep an eye on Gil (although her officially stated reason was in case they needed her in any backgrounds on wide shots or whatever).

"I know," he sighed, fully conceding that she was right as she loaded him up with croissants. "But it really is just a few more scenes. The end is in sight, at least."

"I wish it were a little closer," she scowled.

Gil yawned and rubbed his eye, looking down at the plate she'd made for him and then at her empty hands. "Aren't you gonna have something?"

"You start," she smiled up at him, speaking as soft as a whisper. "I'll be right there."

Gil accepted it easily enough, dragging himself off with a lunch she was pretty sure would knock him right out. He had told her before that buttery, rich pastries tended to have that effect on him.

Thena turned, crossing her arms at whomever was closest (and had the misfortune of wandering too close to her). "How much longer?"

"Th-Thena!" the poor PA startled, flipping through their clipboard.

"This is an insane schedule to keep him on, and you know it," she glared at the poor kid just doing their job. She knew it wasn't their fault, but maybe if she made herself clear enough to them then they would convey it to their director and producers, who might actually have to do something about it if they thought she was airing her complaints to anyone but management.

"W-Well, uh, G-Gilgamesh just has one more scene for today, then-"

"Then find a way to shorten it!" she barked for anyone to hear. She wasn't one for making a scene, but if it got Gil some actual restful sleep she would be enough of a diva to bring the building down. She walked off in search of the actor in question. "Gil?"

He was leaning up against the wall, having decided to plop right down on the floor since he couldn't find his chair (which they had moved to the furthest corner of the studio, the bastards). His plate was in his lap, two and a half croissants eaten and his mouth openly snoring.

Thena sighed, "my poor Gil."

She went over to him, tucking her skirt under her legs as she took a seat, scooching here and there as she judged the distance between them. Once she was satisfied, she moved his paper plate to the floor and pulled his head down to her lap.

Gil happily and immediately turned over in his sleep, cuddling into her as his body desperately tried to recover from its exhaustion.

Thena ignored her embarrassment, letting him press his face into her stomach and rubbing his shoulder gently. He wrapped an arm around her, which she had already anticipated.

She knew how he liked to sleep because of how he would drift off on her shoulder--loaded up with painkillers after he broke his arm.

"Gil, are we-oh."

Thena glared up the poor soul with the misfortune of stumbling upon them. She ran her fingers through Gil's hair. "Turn around. Tell them he's done for the day."

"But-"

"He's done for today," Thena repeated through bared teeth, glaring and just daring them to disturb Gil's sleep at their own risk.

"But who-"

"I do," she cut in, just as cold, just as adamant. "I say: he's done."

They didn't have it in them to argue twice, simply running off to tell whomever needed telling that, according to Thena, Gilgamesh would not be shooting anything else today.

And frankly, she would see how she felt about tomorrow.

"Don't get me fired."

Thena laughed softly, letting him get away with giving her waist a little pinch (just this once). "Like they would ever."

"Y'never know," he mumbled, settling against her again. If he was too tired to even try and get off her then she knew he was really out of it.

"I know," she argued, although it came out as a soft whisper, her fingers still running through his hair. It was so soft. "You sleep."

"Just for a minute," Gil mumbled again as he actively snuggled closer to her.

"Just for a minute," she promised, when in reality she was going to let him lie there and sleep if she had to sit with him all night. They could lock up the studio around her, for all she cared.