#the show deliberately connected couches to buck’s love life

[seddair]

-

[aubzylynn]

A December Deception [Part 1]

Word Count: 1597

Series Warnings: A few curse words, pining, fake dating, fake living together, group conspiracy, teasing, probably second hand embarrassment?, and last but not least: Christmas (I feel like this is a legit warning).

Summary: Prompt found on Pinterest: I told my sister I have a boyfriend so she’d stop trying to set me up with people but now she’s coming to visit I’m in too deep I need a boyfriend ASAP.

A/N: Aaaaahhhhhh I’m freaking out. I’ve never EVER in my life posted the start to a series without having at LEAST half of it written! Please be patient with me updating this. I’m still working 3 jobs. I’m gonna shoot for updates on Fridays, okay? Sound good?  This series is also a cry for help. I spent forever in the “Steve Rogers fluff” tag trying to find some cute fluffy fics and everything that was coming up was either angst, or Steve cheating on the reader, or reader cheating on Steve WITH BUCKY which would never happen okay, or reader leaving Steve for someone else…and I want to help rectify the situation. So here, take this Stevie fluff fest. Special shout out to @sarahwroteathing. She’s always so supportive and amazing and I’m so lucky that she’s my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without her

Please comment and let me know what you think! Being as busy as I am, I’m not going to invest time in this fic if nobody likes it, ya feel? 

[A December Deception Masterlist]

“Noooooo! No, no, no, no, no!” You cry out, tossing your phone over Wanda’s legs, and falling face first into the couch.

Wanda chuckles and tries to smooth your hair away from your face. “What’s wrong, honey?”

You push the top of your head into her thigh, groaning. “My sister’s coming over for Christmas.”

“Friendmas,” Maria corrects.

“I thought she was going to your parents’ for Christmas?” Pepper asks, coming back to the living room with a new bottle of wine.

“She was; but, apparently, they’ve decided to go on an Alaskan cruise.”

Natasha took the bottle from Pepper and filled her glass before refilling yours and Wanda’s, too. “So, what’s the problem? Why aren’t you stoked to have her over?

You sit up, hands flying to your face. Pushing the heels of your hands into your temples, you shut your eyes tightly against the judgmental looks you’re bound to receive. “She, uh. She tries to set me up with everyone.”

“Oh, no!” Wanda laughs, “What an awful sister! Is she bringing some hunky fireman to dinner?”

“Nooo…that’s.” You sigh and drag your fingers down your face dramatically. “Uh, okay here’s the problem. She thinks I have a boyfriend.”

“A what, now?” Natasha asks, failing to hide a smirk.

Your face falls into a serious pout. “You heard me, smartass. A boyfriend.”

“Oh.” the room says collectively.

“A boyfriend that lives with me.”

“Oh.” Interest colors their voices.

You’re ready for the couch to consume you as you inform them, “A boyfriend that I’m, apparently, very much in love with.”

“So,” Pepper clears her throat. “Where is this dashing man that’s swept our girl off her feet?”

“Dunno, but he needs to show up before tomorrow.”

There’s a sharp rap on your door that makes you jump and nearly spill your wine. You struggle to get up; it feels like the couch is aiding in trying to swallow you whole.

Nat looks around the group. “Who the hell is knocking? We’re all here. It’s girls’ night, right?”

Everyone else looks around in comedic confusion. You scoff at your friends and smile affectionately as you finally free yourself from your couch. You make your way around the sectional before unlocking your door. You pull the handle up a bit before yanking it open.

“Steve!”

“Hey, neighbor!” he greets warmly.

There’s a dramatic gasp behind you. “Oh, my god! Steve can be your boyfriend!”

Awkward silence filled the room. Steve’s eyes went wide as you felt an embarrassed blush warm your face.

“Steve can be her what?” Steve asks, voice suddenly high and squeaky.

“Yeah! This is perfect!”

Natasha vaults over the couch, grabs her friend, and pulls him in from the hallway before closing your front door with her hip. His eyes are still wide, brows pinched in confusion, mouth flapping in unformed questions, looking to you for answers. You press your lips into a line, reaching out for his arm as you address the room, “We’re not dragging Steve into this, you guys.”

“But he’s perfect!” Wanda objects.

“You already know each other.” Pepper says levelled, like he should have been the only clear choice. “You’re already comfortable with each other.”

“He’s–he’s my best friend! Of course we’re comfortable–”

Steve finally swallows the lump in his throat and asks, “Why do you need a boyfriend?”

“Her sister’s coming for Christmas.” Maria says.

“Can I tell him what’s happening? Please?” Exasperated, you grab Steve’s arm and pull him to your room in a desperate attempt at privacy. You knew the girls were going to be listening outside your door. “I’m sorry about this,” you start, leaning against your door while Steve settles in your chair at your desk. “You don’t have to get into this at all.”

“How is your sister connected? Why do you need a boyfriend if she’s coming over?” Steve sounds…nervous? You can’t process his reaction, you’re busy trying to keep your anxiety and embarrassment under control.

Your head falls back against the door with a dull thud. “After Scott and I broke up, she tried to set me up with everyone in her contacts list.” You explain, deliberately not looking at Steve. “It was easier to lie to her and tell her I met someone than to go on another awful date.”

He looks up at you, eyes bright. “So, when you went on all those dates, that was your sister setting you up?”

You nodded, finally having enough courage to look at Steve. He’s smiling, almost to himself. “But, listen. You don’t have to worry about it. I’ll just tell my sister that my boyfriend is on a work trip or something–”

“I’ll do it,” he says softly but surely, “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

“You will?” The whole world has been lifted off your shoulders.

Steve stands, smiling, ready to hug you and calm your nerves. What Steve wasn’t ready for, was your choked squeal. He also wasn’t anticipating you to run and jump into his arms in your elation. He catches you easily, laughing, albeit somewhat nervously, and holds you tightly to his chest.

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, Steven Grant,” you say, releasing him from your attack hug, moving your hands to cup his cheeks. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you big time. Whatever you need. I got you.”

Steve totters back to his apartment, full of conflicting thoughts like I’m the luckiest guy in the world and what the fuck have I gotten myself into?

He opens the door, finding Bucky in the same place he left him: less than a foot away from the television, screaming into his headset at the lack of respect his teammates were showing. “Fuck you, Wilson! You pull that shit again, I’m not helping you respawn!”

“Losing again, Buck?”

“It’s Wilson’s fault!” Amidst the gunshots, Steve vaguely heard Sam’s reply over Bucky’s headset. “No, screw you, dude, you know this loss is on you!”

Steve ignores his friend and heads to the kitchen in search of a snack, or something. He’s not quite sure what he wants. He just needs to do something. He opens the fridge and stares unseeing at the contents, replaying the conversation he just had with you. He was going to be living with you for the next couple of days. Not that he practically wasn’t already. Steve was nearly always over at your place when neither of you had work or class…

But this was so much more. He was facading as your boyfriend. He’d get to see what it was like to finally hold you that way, to kiss you, to look at you without wondering if his eyes were going to combust into hearts and lead you to the realization that he’s been in love with you for so long. He was so excited to let his real feelings out, but so nervous. What if this opened a can of worms? What if–

“Dude, I’m making you pay for the whole electric bill this month if you keep that fridge open!” Bucky scolds, closing the refrigerator door and effectively snapping Steve out of his trance.

“Shit, sorry.”

“What’s gotten into you? I was callin’ you; do you want to play COD?”

“Uh,” Steve rubs the back of his head, feels the heat of his blush creeping up his neck, “I can’t. I’ve gotta take some of my stuff to Y/N’s. I’m staying over there for a couple of days.” He sidesteps his best friend, hoping to avoid the conversation altogether. Steve pushes into his bedroom when Bucky finally processes his words.

“Hold on. Did you tell her?” he asks, running into Steve’s room, eyes bright and excited. “You sly dog, you finally did it! What did she say?”

Steve smiles and scoffs at his best friend. “She wants me to be her fake boyfriend and stay over for the next couple of days while her sister’s here.”

Steve laughed as he watched Bucky try to process the situation. He shakes his head, brows furrowed in complete confusion. “Pal, I’m gonna need you to explain what the fuck you just said.”

“Y/N’s sister is coming to visit for a few days. She told her sister that she had a boyfriend that’s living with her.”

“So, you’re the boyfriend?”

“Well, yeah. I gotta take some clothes over there…probably some stuff, too. Ya know, make it look like I live there.” Steve disappeared into his closet in search of a dufflebag.

“Steve,” Bucky calls, biting his lip and running a hand over his jaw. “You sure this is a good idea?”

Steve reappears, stack of clothes in one hand, duffle in the other. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I’m just worried about you. I know how you feel about this girl, and I don’t want you gettin’ hurt just ‘cause she asked you to play pretend.”

Steve reaches out and grasps Bucky’s shoulder. “I appreciate the concern, Buck, but everything’s gonna be fine. Her sister’s only here until the day after Christmas. I can handle this.”

Bucky smiles and pats Steve’s shoulder affectionately. “You better take some of your paintings to hang on the walls.”

Steve’s eyes widen with realization. “I should take my kit over there, too.” He mutters to himself.

Bucky watches his best friend flit around the room, gathering clothes and art supplies, smiling like he’s bursting with excitement and anticipation. While Steve is distracted, Bucky pulls out his phone and pulls up his text thread with Natasha. Tell me what you know about this fake dating situation.

[Part 2]

Ko-Fi 

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[daebakinc]

What Pretty Hands Can Do

Pairing: Kihyun x OC Genre: Smut Summary: Plot-less smut I wrote for Admin V and she said I should share.

          Some couples like to fill their weekends busting with activities. Shopping, couple classes, bicycle rides in the park; doing all the fun things they can’t during the week. Out all day and sometimes all night. Some couples aren’t you and Kihyun though.

           Yes, sometimes it’s nice to go out to that new restaurant the both of you found online or late night walks solely to talk. Most weekends though, Kihyun is more than happy to stay at home with you being so domestic it makes you want to vomit. Minhyuk’s words, not yours. You love it more than you will ever care to admit.

           This Saturday is a prime example of how you’re already at the comfort level of an old married couple. Kihyun let himself into your apartment with your favorite coffee and fresh groceries while you were still asleep so you woke up to the delightful smells of breakfast. After eating, you did the laundry and he played with your cat. Then you both caught up on reading, sometimes reading aloud certain passages that made you laugh or pause. By the time you got to a good stopping point, it was almost time for lunch, so he started cooking and singing to himself, while you squeezed in a quick Korean study session.

           With stomachs full again, the heavy summer sun seeping through the windows, your eyelids are drooping. The couch beckons invitingly.

           Putting the last dish in the drying rack, you flick the water from your hands and nod towards the couch. “Afternoon movie?”

           Kihyun lifts his head from his arms. Yawning, he nods and slips from the chair. “Sure. Your turn to choose.”

           ‘Hitch’ is still in the DVD player from when you started it last night. Too lazy to hunt for another movie, you simply start the movie over. Kihyun opens his arms so you can nestle against him, your back to his chest.

           As he rests his hands on your thighs, you pick them up, running your fingertips along his palm, between his fingers, and along the back. “You have really pretty hands.”

           “Thank you.” He laughs and kisses your cheek. “I’m always happy to receive random compliments from you.”

           “It does your small ego good, huh?” you tease.

           “Of course. It’s like the Grinch’s heart: just a few sizes too small.”

           You laugh and snuggle closer, covering Kihyun hands with yours and returning your attention to the movie. It is easy to settle into yet another routine: you put on a movie, Kihyun falls asleep while you watch, you end up napping at some point too. He does try to stay up, but sometimes his busy schedules of late nights and early mornings catch up with him within seconds of plopping onto plush cushions and burying his face against your skin that smells like home.

           Kihyun’s head shifts from the back of the couch to your shoulder, chin tucked so his breath whispers against your cheek. You think nothing of it. He can become glued to you in his sleep so as to put a koala to shame.

          He reveals his true intentions when his soft lips mouth at your earlobe. You hum happily, not minding the change. It's pleasurable, almost ticklish.

           “You can keep doing that,” you murmur without looking away from the screen.

           Kihyun doesn't say anything, but lips give way to teeth, delicately nibbling on the edge of your ear. The movie instantly becomes much less worthy of attention. He breaks your tightened hold on his hands. They graze along the back of your hand, then the thin skin of your wrist to slide them beneath your palms and link your fingers again.

           He rubs them against the top of your legs, moving closer and closer to your inner thighs. “Spread your legs for me, baby,” Kihyun whispers, breath overly warm on the wet skin of your ear.

          It sends a shiver down your spine right to between your legs. You do as he asks, simultaneously using the remote to turn off the TV. You know exactly where this is going. With how infrequently you sometimes get to see Kihyun, you devote every fiber of each sense when he’s in the mood for a bit of fun.

          “Good girl,” he praises quietly.

           He leaves your hands to grip his forearm as he pushes aside your shorts to press his fingers against your panties. Finding your clit through the cloth, he moves the pads of his fingertips against it. Slow circles, steady strokes, all slow to stoke your heat higher and send your head spinning.

          When you let your head fall back on his shoulder, Kihyun's mouth attaches to your neck. His bites are light to avoid bruises, but he punctuates each upward stroke, every hard press with a sharper nip that has you jolting in his arms. Your panties are sticking to your skin to the point of almost being uncomfortable.

           Kihyun nuzzles the soft skin where your jaw connects to your neck. His movements slow. “And this? Can I keep doing this?”

           You whine and nod. “Yes. Please, Kihyun.”

          His cheek presses against your neck in a grin as he nudges you to his other shoulder so he can place butterfly kisses on the fresh skin exposed to him. At the same time, he pushes past your panties into your folds.

           Kihyun groans aloud. “That's my baby girl. I've barely started and look at you.”

           His free hand that had been on your hip drags up to your waist, catching on your shirt, to tug you flush against him. A growing hardness meets your bottom. All the teasing is as much a turn-on for him as it is for you. You grind backwards, needing more of him.

           He tuts and removes his fingers. “Not yet.”

           “But-” You pout and twist your head to kiss his jaw right where you know he likes it.

          “Trust me, love. Indulge me just a little longer, okay? I’ll make it worth your while.” He chuckles when he feels you immediately go still except for telltale trembles. Kihyun knows you know he’ll give you all you can handle and more.

          Kihyun’s fingers return to your swollen folds to glide through them, already coated with your slickness after a single pass. His lips drag along your neck, loosely slipping around your earlobe again. "You like when I do this, hm? How about this?"

          His thumb presses down on your clit as a finger slides into you. With a flick of his wrist, he finds that even more sensitive bundle of nerves. Your hips naturally buck up as you cry out. Kihyun’s arms lock them down against his. Despite how hard he feels against you, his fingers remain deliberate and steady in their movement.

         Small, hard circles that drag out every bolt of pleasure. Timed thrusts of his finger that hit just right. His hand that rubs the skin just above your hipbone is the only thing keeping you upright. All your breath is devoted to gasps and whimpers and moans to show Kihyun just how good he’s making you feel. He keeps adding to that burgeoning coil of tautness between your hips while never letting it flood over into bliss. Not just yet.

           “Can you handle one more, baby?” Kihyun asks.

          His breathing is becoming as labored as yours. At your nod, he slides in a second finger, moaning as you tighten around them. His other hand releases your hip and trails up your torso, finding your breasts under your shirt. In time with his increasingly faster pumps, he kneads and rubs and tweaks both.            “Kiss me,” Kihhyun rasps.

          You shake your head, unable to lift it to do what he asks. The combination of his hands has you lost in a haze.

          “Please, baby. Kiss me,” he begs, slowing his fingers.

          The bare, unabashed desire in his voice forces your eyes open to find his face. Kihyun’s eyes are wide and dark and blown with need. Glistening, his lips are already puffy and so inviting from being caught between his teeth. He’s beautiful. How could you deny him a single kiss when he makes you feel like a goddess?

          The kiss is sloppy and half teeth, but neither of you care. You’re too close to rapture. Kihyun pumps both fingers back into you and makes fervid circles on your clit. The stretch feels so good, his fingertips dragging along your g-spot with deadly intent. His thumb rubs your clit harder, the nerves becoming so sensitive it borders on painful Your back arches, your hips squirming erratically. Kihyun’s hands shake as well.

          "Cum for me," he pleads into your mouth, his hips grinding into you. "Cum."

           His words act like a key, stars bursting behind your eyes. Every limb quivers as if trying to melt, but Kihyun holds you against him, his hands continuing to guide you back through your orgasm. He peppers your face with little kisses. A hum of satisfaction tickles your ear when he pulls out his fingers. A glance down finds them covered in your ejaculate. They disappear into his mouth until he brings them out clean.            “I think you made a deal with the devil at some point in a past life,” you mumble after you slump against him.            “Why?”            “It’s not natural to cause an orgasm like that while we’re both still fully clothed.”            Kihyun bursts out in laughter and nuzzles your forehead. He pulls you closer. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. I think I can solve that question for you.”            “How?”            “We try it again without clothes.”            A grin springs onto your face. Reaching up, you pull him in for another kiss, making sure to brush against his crotch. He shudders, giving you another rush. “You’re on.” You move you hand again to rest on his sex. “Maybe I made a deal with him, too.”

[sprinkleofhappinessuniverse]

Oooh pick me! Bucky! 🙋🏼

Pairing: Bucky x Reader 

Word Count: 1146

Warnings: Just some good ol’ fluff and lil bit of angst. 

Song: Flashlight by Jessie J 

A/N: I love this song and I hope you like this lil Drabble😄

“Woah!” You exclaimed as you watched Bucky slam the fridge door. “I take it you didn’t have a good day?”

Bucky replied with a grunt.  

“So, you gonna tell me?” You asked, abandoning your dinner and walking over to him. He let out an exasperated breath.

“It’s nothing.” He mumbled.

“Bucky.” He glared at you and you put your hands up in surrender. You could tell by the look in his eyes that he would rather do anything else but talk. Before you could say anymore he stormed out of the room. You let out a long breath.

“Don’t take it personally. He’s been like it for the past few days.” Natasha said coming up and standing next to you. “He’s going through one of his moods. He’s still getting used to adjusting. He won’t talk to us but maybe you could get through to him.”

You had an idea that may not get him to talk but might cheer him up at least ease whatever was bothering him. Whenever your mood took a turn for a worst you would go and sit on top of the hill that On looked the city. There was something so calming about being there and it was looking to be a clear night which meant a good view of the stars and moon.

You weren’t an avenger - just a part of the emergency services - that the avengers had often run into so you didn’t get to see them all the time however you had become fast friends with everyone. You had noted that you felt a particular special bond with Bucky, no matter how shy and brooding he was. As you consistently worked out bits of his personality you felt a connection and figured Bucky probably liked the friendship as it gave him someone outside of the team to bond with.

You were definitely not going to let him grovel tonight. You marched to him room, kicking on his door.

“Bucky! It’s me, c’mon open up.” You called. Silence. “Bucky I know you’re in there. I won’t hesitate to break this door down.”

You heard the shuffle of footsteps and Bucky opened the door scowling at you.

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Okay you don’t have to talk but won’t you at least come out? I wanna take you somewhere. I haven’t spent anytime with you.”

“You have Sam, Steve, Natasha–”

“Yeah but I want to spend time with you. Besides I’ve had enough of Sam and Steve arguing over whether Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder have the best album.” You saw the corner of his lips quirk upwards slightly before he quickly repressed it.

“Okay fine. Let me get my jacket.”

“Yay, Meet you downstairs.”

Eventually you pulled up to the car park, not too far from where the hill was located. It was empty which you were thankful for as it was an indicator hardly anyone would be around. Bucky followed you as you lead the way eventually climbing over a fence to get to the hill. Bucky pretty much jumped over it and you gave him a small smile, impressed.

“Nice jump, Barnes.” You remarked. He smiled and joined you as you sat down on the grass. He had been pretty much silent throughout the journey and didn’t show any signs of wanting to start a conversation. “Is this view great or what?”

“It’s…calming.” Bucky said a hint of awe in his voice.

“Well, I do pride myself in being an expert in great places to sit that isn’t the couch.” You joked causing Bucky to smile. You lay down on the grass, head towards the sky. “Lay down next to me. The sky looks really pretty when you look up at it from here.”

You turned towards Bucky who looked hesitant.

“C’mon! Not scared of a little grass in your hair are you?” You teased. It worked, he lay down next to you. “I used to love looking at the stars when I was younger. Its silly now but I used to think they were special dancers. Sky dancers I used to call them. Tiny dancer twinkling and dancing in the sky protecting everyone. Kinda like you and the team.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Bucky mumbled. You turned on your side and propped you head on your hand.

“What’s up, Buck?” He pursed his lips, and turned his head back towards the sky. “Look, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t know…adjusting to life now isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I guess I’m just having a hard time with it all. I know I’m doing good now but I can’t forget the past Y/N. I just can’t.” He said sadly. You reached your hand out and squeezed his shoulder.

“I get it. And I’ve gotta say you’re pretty damn strong. It can’t be easy at all but the fact you want to do good in the world has got to count for something, right?”

“I guess. I don’t know…I just feel like… no matter what I can’t escape it.”

“I understand.  Sometimes I have really bad days too. Days where it feels like everything’s falling apart.

“You do?”

“Uh-huh. My job can be tough. I guess, something we both can relate to huh? And I get nightmares too sometimes. But the way I see it, it makes us human. To do what we do and not feel anything would probably be crazy.” Bucky nodded. The two of you fell into a comfortable silence before you decided to break it. “You know what sometimes helps me feel better? Thinking of three things I love.”

“Three things you love?”

“Yeah. Small things. It can be anything, it helps remind me that there are good things in the world. Like right now the three things I’d pick are dogs, ice-cream and stargazing. Try it.” You encouraged.

“I don’t know.” Bucky deliberated.

“Bucky.”

“Alright, alright. Uh…I guess I enjoy the team’s training sessions, chocolate and…spending tie, with you.” He said the last part quietly. You grinned.

“Spending time with me, huh?” You said, nudging his arm. Bucky bit his lip and nodded.

“I guess. I enjoy our conversations. And you always help me out, you know just what to say.” You hummed in response.

“I guess I’m like your yoda. Or like your flashlight through darkness.” You joked. Bucky snorted.

“No offence but that’s the cheesiest thing you could have come up with.”

“Dude! We’re having a heart to heart here!” You laughed, he laughed with you.

“Seriously, Thank you, Y/N.” he said eventually.

“For what?”

“Being there for me. It means a lot.”

“Now who’s the cheesy one?” You joked before taking his hand.” What’re friends for?”

The two of you lay in a comfortable silence, looking as the Stars twinkled above you.

[ethanalter]

‘Crashing’ Pete Holmes Interview HBO

Pete Holmes as a struggling comic in ‘Crashing’ (Credit: HBO)

Honesty may be a lonely word, but it’s also an essential ingredient of Pete Holmes’s brand of comedy. The 37-year-old comic has a history of using his stand-up sets, as well as his popular podcast, You Made It Weird, to tackle deeply personal subjects. Now he’s bringing that honesty to HBO in the form of Crashing, a semi-autobiographical series created and starring Holmes and produced by Judd Apatow. While set in the present day, the show is predicated on a story from the creator’s past when his marriage fell apart at the same time he was struggling to launch his comedy career.

Kicked out of his house, Holmes’s TV counterpart (also called Pete Holmes) couch-surfs in the living rooms of such established comics as Artie Lange and Sarah Silverman, who also play themselves. Holmes tells Yahoo TV that liberties have definitely been taken in translating his real life into fiction, but revisiting that part of his history has offered a fair amount of catharsis. “Re-living the heartbreak was difficult; you’d be shooting it and thinking, ‘This is really heavy.’ But then editing it, you make it funny, too. So it’s fun in that regard, and also healing.” Holmes also revealed what it was like to purposely bomb in front of a live audience and why he hopes that his short-lived late-night talk show, The Pete Holmes Show, attains Ben Stiller Show-like cult status.

When I spoke with Judd Apatow about Crashing, he suggested this is a very personal story for you. How did you go about transforming it into the events we watch on the show? The story is really, really personal. It’s been fictionalized, certainly, and changed. If you just tell things exactly how they happened, first of all, legally, that’s a nightmare. Second of all, it’s not as interesting as you might think it is. You need a master like Judd to elegantly, efficiently, and hilariously bring it out. Judd very naturally thinks in stories. One of the first things he did was to tell me, “Just write 10 pages on everything you remember about that time.” So I e-mailed him a document that was filled with truly embarrassing admissions and sad things. I have no problem delving into the tragic to find really, really funny things, and he and I have that in common. My parents still have no idea how this is a comedy! [Laughs.]

You have to tell them, “No, this is funny — trust me.” Yeah, I know. I think when it’s not your son [it’s funnier]. My dad thought the show was going to be like The Odd Couple, with crazy hijinks happening and a different roommate each week. I suppose he’s not entirely wrong. There are hijinks and it is certainly very funny. The pilot kind of does the heavy lifting in terms of getting most, though not all, of the tragedy [out of the way] and then it gets rolling and gets really funny.

Did you always intend to play a version of yourself on the show? The initial conceit of the show was to have everybody playing themselves. That was very important to me. I wanted to create this world where the only person that regressed was me. I’m playing the 2007 version of myself, but everybody else is the 2016 version of themselves. Which is funny because someone like T.J. Miller, who appears in the second and third episodes, is a real person and a real friend. When I actually got divorced in real life, we went to Pittsburgh and spent a week there, just cheering me up and having fun. The difference between T.J. in real life and T.J. in the show is that when I was with him in 2007, he wasn’t famous yet. But on Crashing, he’s playing the post-Deadpool T.J. whereas I’m [pre-fame] Pete. So it’s a little confusing, but once people get into the show, I don’t think they’re going to be saying, “I don’t get it — where’s his podcast?”

Was it strange to put yourself back in the place of being a comedian who isn’t established as you are now? Oh, yeah. I was joking with Judd that the scenes [in the pilot] where I had to perform at an open-mic and bomb was the most painful part. [Laughs.] There’s 300 people there, and they’re extras. Your body still kind of goes into that fight or flight response, and you get that back sweat. And even though you know it’s the story that you’re not supposed to be good yet, it still bothers you a little bit. Still, I think the whole process was a little bit therapeutic. I wish everybody could have an opportunity — maybe they could on a smaller scale — to recreate some of the trauma from their lives like the pain of starting out in stand-up and going to a club where they don’t know you and don’t even want you. [Reliving that moment] I was like, “I don’t know how I did it.” If I was 37 and starting as an open mic-er it would be a real challenge.

I’m curious — how did you ensure that you’d bomb onstage? Did you deliberately write bad material? Or was the audience of extras instructed not to laugh? One, stand-up is so hard. Even if you are trying, you probably won’t do that great. We treated our background actors well, but there’s still a cattle call element. There’s 300 of them, so some production assistant with a headset is going to, at some point, bark at them to stay in line or be quiet or whatever. It kind of feels like a schoolroom in that way, so it’s not a great [environment]. Also, the alchemy of stand-up is so specific. The darkness and coldness [of the club], and also the alcohol can help. That’s when people want to unwind. But if you’re performing at 2 p.m. in a hot room and there’s a group of actors there who aren’t your friends and aren’t on dates, they just want to make a fast buck and they saw this ad on Craigslist, it’s hard to turn that into a good show. I didn’t have to work very hard to bomb! [Laughs.]

Holmes crashing on comic Artie Lange’s couch in ‘Crashing’ (Credit: HBO)

Judd also taught me something he learned while making Funny People, which is that if you want the audience to stop laughing, just keep telling the same joke over and over without warning them. That way, you’ll get the comedian acting believably, but the audience will make certain sounds and groan and it’s not fake because they’re actually feeling it. What was more remarkable was that Artie Lange and T.J. had great sets [in the same setting]! I was in the easier position where I was supposed to do badly, so the pressure was off. It still sucked, though. I wanted a stiff drink afterwards.

Related: Judd Apatow Talks Final Season of ‘Girls,’ His Next HBO Series, ‘Crashing,’ and the Return of ‘Love’

You mentioned your podcast earlier, and that medium has been one way that contemporary comedians are connecting with their fans. We seem to go through cycles where stand-up comedy becomes intensely interesting to people. Is podcasting the key to the current fascination with stand-up? In the past, “comedian” was a very convenient job for the lead in a sitcom to have, because it explained very quickly why he was funny, and why he probably had an OK amount of money. You didn’t wonder why he was able to go on vacation or eat in a nice restaurant. When Jerry took that girl up to Vermont on Seinfeld, nobody thought, “Why does this guy have all this time off?” Our show is a little bit different in that we want to talk about what it’s like to start out as a stand-up, to see the comedian’s origin story. Judd and I were really excited by that.

More to your question, I think, if you look at someone who I admire very much like Louis C.K., being a comedian is the perfect excuse to be very honest. And that’s been encouraged by the rise of podcasts. We now know what it’s like to upload a comedian into your brain through hundreds of podcasts. I barely know Marc Maron, but I feel like I know him so well from listening to WTF. With the advent of podcasts, we’ve gotten a taste for blood — you know what I mean? The premium is higher than it’s ever been for humor that’s authentic and transparent. And with our show, we’re bleeding on the page in some ways. We’re telling secrets. It’s comedy soaked in something relatable and true, and I would argue even a little bit mythic.

Prior to landing at HBO, you hosted The Pete Holmes Show in the post-Conan spot on TBS. Looking back on that series now, how do you feel about your experience in late-night TV? I’m actually wearing Pete Holmes Show pajamas right now! [Laughs.] I wish I had taken more pairs of them — these are getting kind of dingy. I’m the type of comedian that will blame the audience. I’m not saying I blame the audience of The Pete Holmes Show, but I’m very quick to say it was an algorithm — it was a ratings thing and it was the structure of TBS at the time. I know TBS has changed since then, and I’ve had a couple of people [casually] tell me that our show would have done better in the climate they’ve created now.

But I wouldn’t have changed a thing; I’m so proud of it, and I think we did something special given the parameters and the budget and everything. We were shooting nine episodes a week, often months in advance. I’d come out and say, “Hey, it’s Christmastime,” and it was August! I’ve said before that we did exactly the number of episodes we could’ve done before we would’ve started eating ourselves. I really want Netflix or somebody to put it out — we had to take it off YouTube for some legal reason. I’m holding out for the Ben Stiller Show later-appreciation thing. We’ll see if it happens!

Crashing premieres Feb. 19 at 10:30 p.m. on HBO.

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