Collided (Sandra Bullock X y/n fanfic)

Going Public

Filming in Alaska was exhilarating. I'd taken Waverley through the Canadian forest, to the bottom of a lake and now I had the opportunity to stand under the northern lights and shout into the glimmering sky.
It was the middle of the night, the darkest point, just a couple hours before the sun was going to rise. We'd been doing the same scene for what felt like hours. It was just me and Sandy on set with the crew and Emily.
Everyone was tired and cranky. Everyone except Sandra. It was like the northern lights had possessed her, she was running circles around me between takes and giggling at everything.
"Babe, stop it. You're making me dizzy." I half heartedly put my hand out to stop her in her tracks. She pushed my limp wrist aside.
"I'm keeping warm," she said with a grin, disappearing behind my shoulder.
My eyes were a blur, but the cold was keeping my mind sharp. They'd taken our coats off of us an hour ago after our second five minute break, and I'd lost feeling in my fingers.
But the view... we'd been beneath the aurora borealis for hours and it was still making my heart jump.
"Okay!" Emily's voice boomed across the Alaskan solitude. "We need you down there, Sandra. Y/n, stay there, look up."
"Down there? I'm meant to be up here."
"I want to try it down there. We'll have the camera pan up from you at the bottom to Y/n. Then cue the shouting and so on, you know the drill." Emily clapped her hands and half-fell back down the tiny mountain we were on, back behind the cameras.
Sandy rolled her eyes and shimmied towards the bottom of the hill, taking her place.
"Can we have the camera swing round like," Sandy did a motion around her and then point up to me. "And have it stop dead-on at Y/n?"
She cocked her head as she waited for approval.
Emily nodded. "Okay. We'll do mine and then yours. Sounds good."
I had no idea what either of them were talking about half the time, but I was just glad they could stand to speak to one another, even if it was just about camera angles and positioning me around the set like a doll.
We were gearing up to wrap the project this week, and I was trying to savour every moment. Even the excruciating ones. The ice cold night shoots that made my eyelids feel like lead, the crying and screaming that Waverley made me do, the nights I stepped through Sandy's front door with just enough energy to throw my body front-first over the side of the couch, just hoping a pillow would catch my face.
We ran through a handful of takes until Sandy was satisfied, and then Emily called it a night. I would've groaned with pain-filled relief, but I didn't have it in me.
Sandra spoke to some of the crew whilst I trudged down from my hill. When I made it down, she excused herself and hooked her arm around mine.
"Ready to go home?"
I nodded, my face was too tired to speak. I heard footsteps behind us and we both turned as the ground crunched at our heels. It was Emily.
"Can I speak to you two for a second?" She asked, pinching her finger and her thumb together and holding her arm out as she spoke.
"Emily," I sighed. "I'm too tired for this. We can bicker tomorrow, okay? I need a REM cycle or two before then."
"It'll only be a second. Please? You don't even have to speak. Just listen."
"Make it quick, Emily. Y/n's had it rough today." Sandy said, hugging my arm against her body.
"I know she has. I just..." she paused, shifting her body weight as she thought. "Please don't go public."
Me and Sandy glanced at each other. We looked at Emily. "What... what do you mean?" Sandy stuttered.
"Just please don't, okay? I need this movie to do well. I'm begging you."
Sandy stood up a little straighter. "Who told you we were going public?" She asked, hushing her voice a little.
The crew were minding their business, too busy packing up and going home.
"It's what I'd do... if I were you. I know... I know I haven't been very good to the both of you but—"
"But? But what Emily? You made me look like a cheater. This is my first role, ever. My first... everything," I faltered, not meaning to get so serious. I eyed Sandy, gulping and looking down at her fingers wrapped around my bicep and forearm. "Um... it's just that you were a shitty person to me. To us. This film is one of the most important things to ever happen to me, but it's not more important than my relationship." I shook my head. "It's just not."
"If you go public the engagement will crash, the ratings will be ruined and..."
I rolled my eyes, breathing out in such a violent sigh I even surprised myself. "Emily, please just shut up. Just... shut up and go home. Can you do that?" I asked, sarcastically.
She studied me, chewing on her lip. "Whatever, Y/n. You'll see."
She shoved past me, and Sandy turned to look over her shoulder. "Oh, and Emily?" She did a come here motion with her finger and Emily stopped in her tracks, taking a step back towards us. With a lowered voice and a sharp eye she said, "if you ever discuss our relationship to me, Y/n or anyone ever again you will really, really, really regret it."
Emily held the eye contact that Sandy had her locked in. Silent, her eyes half flickered with a halted breath and she left.
"Come on, my girl," she chirped, with an over the top southern accent, "let's get those REM cycles going, hm?" She smiled sweetly.
"You were so scary I think I'll be sleeping with one eye open," I scoffed.
"Agh, no, honey. You've got nothing to worry about, you're too pretty to get the scary side of me." She opened the car door for me and hopped over to the driver's side.
"I hate to break it to you, Sandy, but I've seen the scary side of you. I'm proud to say I'm a Scary Sandy Survivor."
She started the engine, scoffing. "You have not seen Scary— okay, I'm not indulging in that nickname."
"Need I remind you of the time you shoved a news article in my face, with a nice heavy dose of accusation?"
She looked out the window as we rolled through the deep darkness of the night. "Don't remind me, Y/n."
"Okay," I hummed and leaned into the comfort of the passenger's seat, my hand finding its spot on Sandra's thigh. "Let's talk pap—"
"Don't say pap pics, Y/n. I am literally begging you."
"Okay, fine! Let's talk going public, since it seems to be the topic of the evening."
"Well, you're the one who said you had it all under control. What were you thinking? Aside from anything that could get us arrested for public indecency. I can't bail you out this time if I'm in there with you."
She gave me a teasing look. It was the small things like that that made her so irresistible. The dimple in her chin, the way her eyes twinkled with charm, her grin that was always eager to spread across her face. I squeezed her leg, letting my fingers slide down the inside and then back up until my thumb could comfortably hook round to the other side again. The muscle beneath my palm tensed as she pressed on the acceleration.
"Let's just get breakfast tomorrow morning, sit somewhere outside. Hold my hand, kiss me. Be us. The world will get the picture."
"Well the paps—" she stopped herself. "—The paparazzi will get the picture. And then the world will. Are you ready for that?"
"Hell yeah," I leaned across the handbrake and kissed her cheek.
"Hell yeah," she repeated, bringing back the southern accent.
The next morning, we did as we had agreed. Before work, we went out for an early breakfast at a place Sandra said she'd been going to for years.
It was a tiny place, wedged between two buildings, but they had well populated outside seating. Just round the corner was the dock, and birds chirped loudly as they woke up the world.
We ordered coffee and bagels, sitting across from each other. I felt suddenly restless, my eyes darting around for a camera lens. They were usually just out of sight.
Sandy's hand pressed on top of mine, pinning it down. I was picking at the wooden slats of the table. Her knowing eyes glared at me.
"Relax."
"Sorry. Do you see them? I don't."
"Trust me, they'll be here. Are you having second thoughts?"
She had her hair down and curled in relaxed ringlets. It blew in the breeze. She hooked her finger around a strand that stuck to her lipgloss and pushed it away. She was wearing a bright yellow blouse and white jeans. You really couldn't miss her.
"No! It's just that last time I got paparazzi'd we almost broke up."
She chuckled airily, "that's not gonna happen this time. What am I gonna do? Accuse you of cheating on me with me?"
I rolled my eyes. "That's not funny."
"Baby, come on. Just breathe. It's a nice day, you're here with me. This is a good thing, don't be scared."
Her leg found mine under the table and she wiggled her eyebrows. I stifled a giggle.
"There she is," she said, smiling at me.
The waiter set cappuccinos in front of us and then left briskly. The white wispy art on top shook as it settled from the journey.
Sandy picked her mug up with both hands and took a sip. I mirrored her, beginning to relax in her presence. I don't know why I had stage fright all of a sudden, we weren't pretending, we were just no longer hiding.
I checked my phone, finding an account I knew kept up to date with all things Awaken. There was nothing yet, but we hadn't exactly given them much to be talking about. Although they usually found anything they wanted if they bent the truth enough.
"You know, Y/n, you're not the first girl I've loved," Sandra said nonchalantly, looking at me over her cup.
I squinted at her. Was that an accident? She didn't mean to say... that. Right? Oh my god what do I say? If it was an accident and I acknowledge it it'll be really embarrassing. I made a confused, stuttering sort of sound as I tried to find the right words.
"Oh my god," she said, setting her mug down. "I really just said that didn't I?"
I blinked at her. "It's okay... if you didn't mean it... I mean..." I licked my lips. My mouth was dry. Now I really was nervous we were being watched.
"What?" She asked, exasperated, "of course I meant it. I just... didn't mean to say it so casually like that."
My eye twitched. "You did?"
Sandy studied me. "You don't have to say anything. I mean, I know I've just thrown this on you and you're so anxious right now..."
I looked at her, dumbfounded by her stupidity. "I love you," I breathed. "Obviously, I love you." I reiterated.
Her face lightened. "Oh," she sighed. "Wow. Thank god. That would've been... wow. I'm really sweaty."
I grinned, standing up and throwing my arms around her. Her chair scraped back as she stood up, enveloping her arms around me. I squeezed her tight, so tight.
"I love you," she whispered into my neck.
"Your... bagels." The waiter awkwardly placed them on the table and left.
Sandy's face crinkled as she laughed. She looked at me, her smile lingering as she pressed her lips ever so slightly together. She pulled on my belt loops until the metal of our buckles clinked together. Her eyes glided down to our hips and then up to my lips.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
"But... we're hip to hip—"
She rolled her eyes, giggled, and pressed her lips to mine. My heart was racing. I was so scared to be kissing her in public, with people all around us. This wasn't something just her fans would be talking about, this would be something everyone who'd ever heard of Sandra Bullock would know about within the hour.
I heard the telltale clicks of the cameras and held her a little closer. When we sat back down, I kept my eyes on her. I picked up my bagel, my hands shaking.
"Wait," I said. "What do you mean I'm not the first girl you've loved?"
She smirked at me, "I think you can figure that one out for yourself, fangirl."

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Author's Note ~
Soooo sorry about my sparse updates. It's been... quite a week... or however long it's been. Time has pretty much lost all meaning. But as always thank you for reading, love you xoxoxo