"We have a problem."
Nik sat across from the two of them, sliding his phone over to Gwen. She blinked a few times before quickly scanning the article Nikolaj had pulled up. The headline read as such "Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has divorced wife, Nukaaka Coster-Waldau, only to spend a long weekend with co-star Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) in his comfy LA home."
He reached across the table and slid to another article. Another goddamn Blind Item, she shouldn't have even joked about it.
"I don't even want to read that, Nikolaj." She slid his phone back, then leaned back in her chair. "So, what do we do now? We hide it? We come out and be truthful? We say nothing at all?"
Nik ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know, I... we - um." He sighed, putting a fist against his mouth. "We can't be truthful. I was still cheating on my wife."
"Then we don't address it. We go to the events, we see each other - maybe trying to be a little more subtle about it. But we go on as we were before your divorce as if nothing's changed, because it's true. Nothing's changed." She glanced to Giles, who gave an approving nod.
"I think that's the wisest thing to do." He rubbed Gwen's thigh and sipped from his mug.
You could practically see the wheels turning in Nik's head before he nodded. He ran a hand across his stubbly cheek. "Yes. That is good. We do normal things."
"We do need to start telling our friends though... so they don't address rumors for us. I can start with people like Alfie, Finn, maybe Conleth. Lena and Peter are all yours."
Nik rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled something under his breath that sounded funnily enough like "Peter already knows."
She let out a short laugh. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Peter already knows. He was rooming next to us the first night we slept together... He confronted me the next morning while you were showering."
Gwen's eyes widened and her jaw fell open. "Nikolaj Coster-Waldau... I could strangle you right now! That was years ago, why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't want you to worry!" He raised his hands in defense.
Gwen crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, Kristofer knows too."
Nikolaj nearly choked on the air he was breathing. "How does Kristofer know?! That's a terrible person to tell secrets to."
"He took my phone as a joke, probably to find something embarrassing. And oh boy, did he. He happened to find that video that you took on my phone of me, bent over the bathroom counter of my hotel room. Back at the beginning of season 8 filming."
Giles let out a low whistle, then stood. "Right, well I'm going to go work in my office. Don't kill each other." He kissed the top of Gwen's head before promptly showing himself out.
Nik looked down at his hands in his lap. "I'm sorry."
Gwen sighed. "I'm sorry too. How awful would it be to start telling them over the phone?"
"Not awful. Better than not telling them at all."
She nodded. "I just think they should know before the premiere. Since we'll be staying in New York for a while."
"I agree." Nik stood and held a hand over to her. "Come on."
"I-I didn't mean now, I don't want to tell anyone now. "
"Just trust me a little, okay?" He gestured with his fingers, his hand still outstretched.
She took it and stood, then proceeded to follow him back to the bedroom. He scooped her up as if she were a much smaller woman, then crawled into bed with her and snuggled up against her side.
