hiding in plain sight, gale/randy ficlet

[wouldbedorothy]

Title: Hiding In Plain Sight
Author: AHS
Pairing: Gale Harold/Randy Harrison
Rating: PGish
Summary: Immediately after the Larry King "ILY" incident.  1250 words.
Disclaimer: Not based on any reality... except for the part we've all seen the clip of, lol.
Author's note: Written for "disguise" challenge at  boys4all.  Thanks, RR, for the bunny, and Marina for preview :)

Hiding in Plain Sight
by AHS
 

“I hate that fucking interview. It’s over and I still hate it. I hate Larry King and his stupid suspenders and his even stupider questions!”

“Rand…”

“Immoral or harmless? We’re either immoral or harmless! Those are the only choices! I think I’d rather be immoral. ‘Harmless’ implies we’re not even worth thinking about, that we have no impact!”

“Rand…”

“The man is a fossil. Like he’s ever seen an episode! Let’s just distract from the fact that he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about by nosing into people’s personal…”

“Randy!”

“…Yes, Gale?”

“Are you gonna talk to me?”

“I am… aren’t I? I mean-… what? About what?”

“About your little… ad-lib in there.”

“Oh… that.”

***

I think everyone in the cast expected me to crush on Gale as soon as they saw him. It’s understandable, even if it is annoying. He is beyond crush-worthy.

Then when they saw us… how hot we are together, because we are… they were convinced. None of them ever thought the same of him, of course… that he would have those sort of feelings about me… which really isn’t fair. But I was the young one, the baby-faced one, and the gay one. Fair or not, and despite how much I hate fulfilling people’s presumptions about me, it seemed they were right.

It wasn’t first sight or first “kiss.” It wasn’t even first nakedness, filming that first love scene. I mean, lust probably kicked in the first time we were in the same room, but… falling was something else.

We were just a few weeks into filming. We’d finished for the day and were walking out together. I was in front, so I held the door open for him, and he poked my stomach with tickling fingers on his way through. That gave me a little flutter. But then in the parking lot, he noticed that one of my shoes had come untied. I was carrying my knapsack, my script binder, and a bottle of water, so before I could even try, Gale had dropped to his knees in front of me… *cough*… and tied my shoe. Commented on my socks, which were blue that day, and lightly touched my ankle. Tugged on my free hand to pull him up. Shot me the most adorable smile.

That’s when I fell.

And I had to be careful. I’m a total professional, but we were already becoming really close friends, which meant more opportunities to fall even harder. More chances for him to see right through me and not like what he saw.

One day, I kissed him on the cheek goodbye. I’d done it more than once before, and it wouldn’t have been any kind of big deal, except for how I guess I lingered a little too long this time… and the awkward way I pulled back… and the crimson flush I could feel on my cheeks. Watching his expression as he walked away, I realized I had just made my feelings so obvious, I might as well have been wearing a sandwich board that said, “I Heart Gale Harold.”

And I knew distancing myself from him, if I even could, was not the answer. That would just be going from obvious to painfully glaring. I had to be entirely comfortable with him. More demonstrative than ever, but completely casual about it. Disguise my feelings by hiding in plain sight.

The next time I saw him, I gave him a big kiss on the lips hello and ruffled his hair, cool grin on my face. He looked a little stunned, then relieved, squeezed my shoulder, and I knew it had worked. Right before our next sex scene, I smacked his ass and said, “Let’s go!” (Or was it, “Let’s go, cowboy”?)

Gale was naturally pretty tactile himself… a fact that made things both easier and, yes, harder. When he would, say, pull me onto his lap, it was the sweetest kind of torture. (Still is.) But I tried to listen to the voice telling me to just enjoy it, even if it could never go anywhere. And it worked, mostly, for two years.

Maybe something was bound to happen. Some bit of cover was bound to come loose. I just didn’t expect it to be in front of the world.

What better way to convince Gale I wasn’t secretly in love with him than to tell him I love him, live on national television?

***

“Yeah, that. What the fuck, Rand? Did you forget you had a microphone on?”

“I don’t know. I was just so… proud of you in that moment. Your total lack of hesitation and lack of bullshit in the face of some really bullshit questions.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. I guess those words just slipped out.”

“Oh…… You know, the fangirls… you just made their lives with that.”

“Hey, you get to take some of the credit… blame for that, too.”

“How-”

“‘I can’t repeat it’? Is there anything you could have said that would have made imaginations run wild more?”

“What the fuck did you want me to say?”

“I-…I don’t know… Nothing.”

“I mean, I didn’t have an answer except the truth, and I was not gonna say that to Larry King.”

“You’re right, Gale. I’m sorry, okay? Can we just try to forget about it?”

“Relax, Rand. I’m not mad… Put the face away. I’m not.”

“You’re not.”

“No… It was actually pretty funny.”

“…Yeah, it was. The look on your face…”

“I’m sure. C’mon, chuckles. You’ve earned yourself a hot dog from a cart.”

“Big spender.”

“Anything for you. You know I love you, too.”

“Yeah, I know.”

***

I’ve kicked myself a thousand times over my less than stellar response on that show, but considering the words I’d just heard whispered from Randy’s lips… unscripted, no matter the context… I’m surprised I held it together as well as I did.

Held… He held a door open for me. I don’t know why it charmed me like it did. Maybe it was the little bow he threw in. And then he was juggling all his shit, shoelaces dragging on the ground, and he just looked so fucking cute. I dropped to my knees way too fast, head too full of the weeks of kissing and touching him. But I was a good boy and tied his shoe. Ignored my dick when he took my hand, and just smiled as I fucking fell.

He’s so professional, I knew… well, I told myself he wouldn’t go for it. Maybe I was just afraid he wouldn’t take me seriously. Or maybe I was afraid he wouldn’t want me. Why would he want to waste his time with a fucking confused mess, like I was? (am?) Besides, any time there was a moment that felt like almost… he was the one to break it.

He’s my friend. Closer than most, but friend. And that’s why he can climb in my lap, or even kiss me, and not think twice about it. And it’s why he could say those three little words to me with the whole world listening. Because he means them, but he doesn’t mean them too much.

He doesn’t mean them like I do.

But all I know to do is to say them back playfully, like he did. All I know to do is what I’ve been doing for the past two years… disguising my feelings by hiding in plain sight.

Comments

[crazyevildru.livejournal.com]

gaaah i want a sequel to this! grrrr this could be a series!!! i loved it

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Ack! lol... I don't know about *series*, but a sequel might be possible. If I think of something, I'll try to run with it.

Thanks, Dru! :)

[plumduff.livejournal.com]

Ahem - you are, of course, going to continue this aren't you? It's brilliant and tantalising, and there has to be more.

...and he poked my stomach with tickling fingers on his way through.

*dies*

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

I thought of that clip I've seen... I think it was from 122 filming... where Randy kind of scratch-tickles Gale's stomach, and I decided Gale had done it to Randy first :)

I might do another, if I get an idea I like.

Thanks, hon!

[blue-sunrises.livejournal.com]

I'm a new reader of your fic, and I have to say that this is just lovely :) Thank you so much for this, sometimes we don't get enough RPS, in my opinion!

Great stuff.

xoxoxo Izzy

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks, Izzy! And welcome to my deliciously fevered brain, lol ;)

[akintay.livejournal.com]

Umm, you can't end it there!!! You tease - they're in love with each other and both think the other one isn't...that's mean.

Please, please tell me there will be a sequel!?!

Apart from that, it was absolutely brilliant. I loved the affection between them; Gale tying Randy's shoelaces, holding the door open for him, Randy kissing him, sitting on his lap and swatting his ass...all of these things made me squee. Wonderful. And omg, Randy's rant about Larry King - thanks so much!!! I always felt the same way about him - the only good thing that came out of the interview was the ILY (which, Gale was right about, made some of the fangirls' lives!).

*hugs*

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

I am a tease, lol. Thanks, Anna!

I was so proud of myself for ending it that way... I thought, if I give all my stories a little happy ending, they'll start to sound the same... I should have known ya'll wouldn't let me get away with this, though!

Sequel is... possible, but not promised.

I enjoyed finding different ways for them to see the same things. You notice, Randy talks about Gale always pulling him into his lap, while Gale talks about Randy climbing into his lap, lol. Who's right? I'm thinking both! ;)

[akintay.livejournal.com]

Sequel is... possible, but not promised.
I'll be satisfied with that for now :D

You notice, Randy talks about Gale always pulling him into his lap, while Gale talks about Randy climbing into his lap, lol.
Lol, yup, I think they're both right...Randy is climbing while Gale is pulling :)

[spike7451.livejournal.com]

Coughs discreetly then asks politely...."There is a sequel isn't there, chin wobbling in distress here at the ending?"

This was such a brilliant little fic, I loved it, sequel or no.

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

This was such a brilliant little fic, I loved it, sequel or no.

I much appreciate that, thank you :)

*pets wobbling chin* But I am definitely starting to think about a second part.

[rromantic.livejournal.com]

*sighs happily* - especially since there’s going to be a sequel for an ‘and they lived happily ever after and after and then some more!’

I absolutely adored Part 1 *grins wickedly*, and YYEEEAAAHHH, you used my plot bunny and wrote me a story!!! Randy freaking out like that was just adorable, and referring to Gale’s “I can’t repeat that” was stunning!! Lol I can gobble him up when said that on LK, and you brought it perfectly into your fic!

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Yay for you seeing that clip and demanding fic, lol!

I absolutely adored Part 1

Subtle, very subtle ;-b

I'll see what I can do.

[jasmynstote-bag.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. That was such a great moment for them, and I always wondered what happened after the fact.

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yup, imaginations went into overdrive ;)

[tubetales.livejournal.com]

You make it *very* impossible to stay away from G/R fics, you know. Well I guess you know, with me, always...

What a way to fall in love, tying a shoe - how odd, and how wonderful.

"Oh… that."
Yeah, *that*. I never loved *that* more than in this fic.

Thank you.

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

I love the thought of you making an exception for me :) I think that's good. I know you're taking a break, but I don't want you to completely break ties.

Tying a shoe, lol... I wanted an unextraordinary moment, and that's what played out in my head.

Thank *you*, V.

[bndjsfaghag15.livejournal.com]

yes. sequel. realizations galore. PLEASE. this made me cry, april. that's how amazing you are at this. I CRIED.
rawr.

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Aww, *tissues*... Thanks, hon. And thanks for my "rawr"! ;)

Um... I will tell you a secret in email.

[bndjsfaghag15.livejournal.com]

i'll give you as many RAWRS as you want if you just continue telling me the deepest darkest thoughts of Gale and Randy. yumm.

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

You know how there's that clip of Randy tickling Gale's tuxedo'd tummy on a break during filming of 122? I decided Gale did it to Randy first, lol :)

Thank you!!

[6frog.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love this, it is delicious. I've only just discovered this RPS site and I know RPS isn't universally popular but I love it as long as it is gentle. I'm so hoping that everyone else has persuaded you to write the series - ie a long story - you are so good at it. What pic of the tummy tickle? I know nothing but I'm trying to catch up. Much love 6frog

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Um, I meant this fic to just be a oneshot, lol. I did end up writing a sequel, but I really, really was not happy with it and did not post. It's possible I will try again, however :)

I have lots of G/R here for you to try! I'm not sure if "gentle" means no smut (that would be a shame, 'cause I've got lots of that, lol), or just written with care and respect. I hope I always do that.

No picture, but there's an outtake clip of Randy doing that to Gale. In this lovely G/R video someone (not me) made, it's about 38 seconds in. So cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsRzmtiiNlc

Thanks again, and welcome!

[6frog.livejournal.com]

No OK anyway thank you. OK I accept no more of that RPS fic but I love their relationship as you write it. And thanks for the link to the clip. I'm so glad they enjoyed doing the show and said so. I can't imagine what cowlip were thinking at the end, the two guys who are cowlip are proud of having lived and worked together for over thirty years so why????? Love 6frog

[sunshine63.livejournal.com]

uhm... found the link...went to look for it... of course!!!
yes, he really made our day saying those three little words. I've always thought that Gale's delicious way of blushing was hiding much more than a simple friendship.
a little bitter, they are so worried about not showing their real feelings that they miss the reality of their mutual love... so sad!!!

[pen-traveler.livejournal.com]

You know, I saw that Larry King interview three years ago, when I first got into Queer as Folk. I wish I remembered the damn thing better. I just remember GH saying that he couldn't repeat what RH had said.

Anyway, I especially liked this fic, as it centered around a clip of their relationship that I got to see.

Can't wait to read the sequel!

[wouldbedorothy.livejournal.com]

You should totally rewatch it at YouTube. You can find just the ILY clip by itself :) I just remember Larry was asking lame questions and Gale was saying cool stuff, and you hear Randy's whispered "I love you" while camera's on Gale, and the li'l quirk and smile his face does is so priceless.