‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

LUCA GUADAGNINO'S HOME
los angeles, california
tuesday
july 2, 2024
12pm

i sat beside drew on a plush couch in luca guadagnino's living room, the sun streaming through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. i couldn't help but steal glances at him every now and then, taking in his profile. his sharp jawline, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

other cast members kept coming in and filling the empty spots in the living room. luca and his assistant sat on another couch, a stack of papers in luca's hands.

luca looked up at the room full of actors and gave us all a warm smile. "okay, before we get started, i want to give you all a brief overview of the movie. we'll be doing a script run-through as well." he said, setting his papers aside and clasping his hands together. he leaned back in his seat, his demeanor turning serious. "the main theme of the movie is about unexpected love in unusual circumstances. it's a tale of two people from different worlds who are brought together by fate..."

as luca continued explaining the premise, i could feel drew's presence beside me. he shifted in his seat, his hand briefly brushing against my knee before reaching out for my hand.

his fingers intertwined with mine, sending a soft wave of warmth through me. i glanced at him through my lashes and gave him a small smile, feeling comforted by his touch.

luca briefly paused in his explanation, noticing the silent exchange between me and drew. he smiled at us before continuing, his eyes flickering between the two of us in a knowing way.

"azaria and drew...or should i say shay and beau." luca said looking at us.

we both chuckled at the mention of our character names. "shay and beau...it's got a nice ring to it." i said, giving drew's hand a subtle squeeze.

"in the movie, shay and beau come from different backgrounds. shay, played by azaria, is an independent young woman with a strong spirit." luca continued, his gaze briefly flickering to me. "and beau, played by drew, is a rugged and enigmatic drifter whose past is shrouded in mystery. "as they meet and begin spending time together, they find themselves drawn to each other despite the odds, and their relationship blossoms into something surprising and profound." luca explained, his eyes now focused on the two of us. "the film will explore themes of fate, acceptance, and the power of true connection."

drew nodded once and spoke, "so where will it be filmed? are there any conflicts that shay and beau will face or will it be smooth sailing?"

luca took a sip from a glass of water on the coffee table before answering. "the movie will be filmed entirely on location in italy. mostly in the beautiful countryside." he said, his lips curving into a small smile. "and as for conflicts, there will be some conflicts between shay and beau early on, due to their different backgrounds and the mystery surrounding beau's past. but as they get to know each other, they'll start to understand and accept each other's differences."

i nodded along with his words, my mind already imagining the stunning scenery of italy. i couldn't wait to see the locations, to feel the italian atmosphere. i looked at drew, his expression thoughtful as he listened to the details. i could tell he was equally excited about this opportunity.

"the movie will be a mix of romance, drama and mystery, and it will be filmed over the course of a month." luca added.

"one single month? wow." drew said with a whistle.

luca nodded, picking up his stack of papers again. "yes but i have faith that this team." he looked around the filled living room. "we can do it...now, i'd like us to start the script read-through to get a sense of how the characters and story come together. are you all ready?"

there was a general murmur of agreement and nods from the group. the energy in the room shifted as everyone got more serious, preparing for the read-through. i glanced at drew again, his grip on my hand tightening ever so briefly.

the script read-through lasted for the better part of an hour. we read through the scenes, got a feel for the dialogue and character interactions. the scenes between shay and beau, played by me and drew, seemed to have a natural chemistry.

after the read-through, luca sat down with us individually to discuss our characters and the overall vision for the movie. as the afternoon crept into evening, i found myself growing more and more tired, the exhaustion of the day catching up to me.

luca dismissed us for the day, promising a well-deserved rest before we travel to italy friday morning. i rose from my seat, stretching my stiff muscles. drew stood up next to me, a subtle yawn escaping from him.

"well, that was a long day." i said, glancing up at him.

"yeah, but it was worth it." he replied, his tone soft. "i'm exhausted but also excited for this." he added, his hand briefly resting on my lower back.

i smiled at his words, his touch sending a shiver up my spine. "me too." i said, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and excitement coursing through me. "i can't wait to start filming and bring shay and beau to life."

drew hummed in agreement, his eyes meeting mine. "same, it's gonna be intense." he said, his gaze holding mine. "and the chemistry between us...it's gonna be off the charts already."

my cheeks flushed slightly at his comment, the confidence in his voice sending a pleasant shiver through my body. "well, we'll definitely have the audience's attention." i joked, a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips.

"hey, i'm starving...wanna grab something to eat?" drew spoke.

i nodded. "i'd love to, but i'm in a mood for something home cooked."

"home cooked?" drew raised an eyebrow, a hint of intrigue in his eyes. "are you suggesting one of us do the cooking?"

i shrugged, "or both."

"both?" he repeated, slightly amused. "are you trying to test my cooking skills?"

i laughed lightly, raising my hands up in surrender. "i'm just saying, i could whip up a mean homemade meal if given the chance."

drew nodded. "i know you can, you made that spaghetti for me." he reminded me.

i smiled at the memory, secretly loving the fact that he remembered such a small detail. "i did, didn't i? and you said you enjoyed every bite. so, up for some culinary adventure?" i suggested, raising an eyebrow playfully.

he chuckled, folding his arms over his chest. "you're going to need to give me a little guidance, i'm not as skilled in the kitchen as you. but i'm definitely up for it."

"your house or mine?" i asked, referring to which kitchen we'd be cooking in.

drew seemed to ponder for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. "how about my place? it's closer anyway." he proposed, a subtle hint of invitation tinging his voice.

i smiled, secretly enjoying the idea of being in his home environment. "sounds good to me. though we have to stop at the store and get ingredients."

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

DREW'S HOME
los angeles, california
5pm

after getting the ingredients for our margherita pizza we stood in his kitchen and started to get ready to cook. this was my first time in his home and...i was impressed. it was a medium-sized home, nothing to fancy but it fit him with the whole artsy yet homey aesthetic.

"do you ever pretend like you have a youtube channel? like you'll just talk to the 'camera' infront of you when really there's no camera and you're just talking to yourself?" drew questioned as he watched me get the pizza started.

i paused in my actions, a small giggle escaping from me at his question. it was such an out of the blue and random thing to ask, but it was also so quintessentially drew. "yeah, i do that all the time." i admitted, a sheepish laugh escaping me. "there are times when i'm just by myself and i start monologuing like i'm filming a youtube video. do you?"

he chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "absolutely." he said, a hint of playfulness in his tone. "i pretend like i'm a top tier content creator with thousands of followers hanging onto every word i say."

i grinned at his answer, the image of him monologuing to himself in front of a non-existent camera filling my mind. it was endearing and strangely cute to imagine. "gosh, you have to start a youtube channel now. i am dying to see your get ready with me's."

he laughed, his eyes fixed on me as i stretched the pizza dough. "i'm not sure youtube is ready to see my skincare routine." he joked. but then he made his way over to his cabinets where he pulled out two wine glasses.

i watched him uncork the wine, pouring us both a generous serving. "well, you do have nice skin. you could give some product recommendations." i teased, rolling the pizza dough out flat.

"ah, so you've noticed my naturally clear skin?" he quipped, a smirk playing on his lips. "i'm glad you appreciate my skincare routine."

he handed me the glass of wine, our fingers brushing against each other. the touch sent a jolt of electricity through me.

"i've noticed all of your...features." i replied with a smirk, taking a small sip of wine. i glanced up at him through my lashes, studying his defined jawline and intense eyes.

his lips curved into a sly smile, his gaze flicking over my face with a hint of satisfaction. "have you now?" he murmured, his voice dropping slightly.

he moved closer to me, the space between us becoming infinitesimal, and leaned against the countertop beside me.

"i have an idea." i said softly.

he raised an eyebrow quizzically, a tinge of curiosity in his expression. "an idea? what do you have up your sleeve?"

"let's film a real youtube video...a cooking with us video, we don't have to upload it or anything, it's just for us to see." i said with a small smile.

he pondered for a moment, his gaze flickering between me and the kitchen countertop, and then he let out a soft chuckle. "a cooking video, huh? you wanna film a cooking video with me?" he paused for a brief second, a gleam in his eyes. "okay, let's do it. i'm down."

"do you have a vlogging camera?" i asked as i looked around his cozy home.

he shook his head. "nah, but i have this." he said as he held up his iphone, before propping it up as it was now on the camera app and recording. "okay, we need an intro."

i laughed at his use of his phone instead of a 'real' camera, silently admiring his cleverness.

i hummed, pretending to ponder for a second before saying, "hey, i'm azaria." i looked up at drew.

"and i'm drew." he said with a nod.

"and welcome to our cooking video!" i added in an over the top happy voice.

he laughed, the sound sending a pleasant shiver through me. "we are going to be making a margherita pizza." drew said as he pointed his phone camera to the pizza. "while drinking this." he said pointing the camera to the filled wine glasses.

i let out a soft laugh, loving his addition of the wine to the intro. "yes, an essential part of cooking." i replied with a playful grin. "shall we start?" i asked, holding up the pizza dough.

he nodded. "yes we shall. show me how to stretch this dough thingy."

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

6:30pm

many glasses of wine and a successfully made margherita pizza later, drew and i were seated on his couch watching 'the office.'

since we had finished our cooking video, drew was now clicking away on his phone while i was eating.

~~

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user1 she's so pretty

user2 any new acting gigs?

milahaynes aesthetic queen

user2 i see someone's doing well after the breakup
⤷ user3 she's already on someone else. she was seen with drew starkey recently.

ayoedebiri 💕💝💘💖💗💓

~~

"okay, one character in the office, you have to pick one. who's your favorite?" i drunkenly asked him.

he looked up from his phone, a quizzical look on his face, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "just one?" he said, taking a large sip of his red wine. "can't i choose multiple?"

i leaned back against the couch cushions, my head tilting to the side as i looked at him. "nope, just one. now choose or i'll pick for you." i warned with a smirk.

he let out a exaggerated sigh, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "tough decision." he said dramatically. he then paused, his brows furrowed in mock deep thought. "okay, fine...i choose michael scott. no question."

i laughed, loving his quick choice. "michael scott? really? that's your pick?" i mused, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "i would've guessed jim halpert for you."

he chuckled, shaking his head. "jim's great, but michael...the man's cringe but i can't help but adore him." he explained, his eyes still on his phone. "what about you? who's your choice?"

i hummed in thought, pretending to ponder for a moment even though i knew my answer. "i'll have to go with dwight schrute. he's hilarious and i find him weirdly endearing." i confessed as i took a bite of pizza.

drew laughed loudly, his eyes lighting up in amusement. "really? dwight?" he said, his voice filled with genuine surprise. "i never expected that answer. i mean he's entertaining, but endearing?"

i nodded, my own amusement increasing at his reaction. "yeah, seriously! he's just so unique and unapologetically himself - i can't help but root for him. also, his lines are gold!"

drew nodded, raising his glass of wine to me. "i guess i can see your point. his lines truly are iconic, especially his weird but funny wisdom." he said, a subtle smile on his lips.

"plus, his loyalty to michael, despite michael being, well, michael, is kind of adorable." i added, a hint of mischief in my tone.

"adorable? dwight schrute?" he questioned with a smirk. "that, i never thought i'd hear." he said as a sly grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "i didn't know you had the hots for beets and farmer couture." he added in a playful tone.

i rolled my eyes, a small laugh escaping me. "oh stop, i don't have the hots for him. i just appreciate his uniqueness." i said, trying to defend myself.

he snickered, his eyes shining with playful amusement. "you had me thinking i was in competition with dwight schrute." he said, slurring his words a bit as he put his phone down.

i giggled at his words, the alcohol clearly making his thoughts more unfiltered. "don't worry, you're not in competition with dwight." i said, a hint of flirtation in my tone. i took a sip of wine, locking eyes with him as i did.

drew chuckled, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "i'm relieved to hear that." he said with fake nonchalance, his eyes roaming over my face. the air between us grew more charged, the alcohol seemingly eliminating any barriers of restraint.

i held his gaze, feeling the tension thicken between us, the alcohol fueling my confidence. my heart beat quickened as i shifted my position on the couch, coming a little closer to him. "trust me, you have nothing to worry about." i said, my voice soft and low.

he didn't respond as he watched me move closer. the atmosphere felt heavier, like a current of electricity crackling between us.

he reached out, his fingers gently tracing along my jawline, leaving a trail of tingles in their wake. his touch sent a shiver through my body, making me crave more.

he held back for a split second, the tension between us building to almost shattering levels. but then, he leaned in, closing the gap between us.

his lips met mine in a kiss that was both gentle and electric. it felt like a match being lit, a spark igniting deep within me, spreading through my entire body.

his lips moved against mine, the kiss growing deeper and more urgent. i responded eagerly, the alcohol in my system lowering my inhibitions.

my fingers wove through his hair, pulling him closer, as my body pressed against his. his hands found my waist, his grip tight, his touch leaving a trail of heat.

the kiss deepened, our breaths mingling, as we both lost ourselves in each other, the outside world fading away.

~~

a/n

SHE'S BACKKKKK- yes i am back with the updates 🙏 i love you guys for being so patient...super duper excited to be updating this fic again.

it's moving pretty fast now and so is their relationship (primarily in the next chapter), but i mean they're cute tg so it's fine.