jesse-grayson - Tumblr blog

[jesse-grayson]

lovehcarts:

Jesse’s arms fell from around him and she looked him up and down, immediately raising a brow at his hands on his hips. “Fierce,” she commented with a snicker. Still, she tucked her hands in the spaces between his elbows and hips and stayed wrapped around him, humming quietly to herself. 

The rehearsal was slowly drawing to a close and she tilted her head when Jesse told her to lead the way. “To the changing rooms, you mean? There’s no way I’m walking through the city with you topless,” she quipped quickly. Ruby’s hand found his and she turned from him, leading him further backstage until she found his dressing room, complete with the mended shirt he was currently missing. “Look at that,” she said cooly. “No more half-naked Fiyero.”

“Oh you don’t have to tell me,” Jesse dramatized, flipping the long hair that he didn’t have. When she tucked her arms around his, he leaned in and kissed her forehead, smiling to himself while she hummed. He wondered if she knew just the sort of pull she had on him, but quickly reminded himself that of course she must. She knew everything. And if she didn’t, then the stupid grin that always seemed to plaster itself across his face when she was around certainly gave him away.

“I think Stacey’d have my head if I went out in public in costume,” He chuckled. “…er, in half-costume,” He added, smirking to himself. He followed her down the familiar path to his dressing room, doing his best not to laugh at how silly it felt to follow her to his dressing room. But, Jesse would do just about anything to keep Ruby smiling. Especially when he knew that she didn’t want to. “I know that you’re disappointed,” He teased, sticking his tongue out at her.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

Jesse was glad for the in-between moments in rehearsals, when he got to be himself and really get to hang out with his castmates. Particularly Ruby. There was something special about this, too, waiting in the wings and hiding from the rest of it. Sure, he wasn’t dumb enough to think it was just them, but times like this, when the noise on the stage could get muted from their hideaway, it really felt that way.

“That works for me,” Jesse laughed, and slowly released Ruby from his hold. He went to put his hands in his pockets and was reminded then that his costume didn’t have pant pockets, so he settled for putting his hands on his hips with a small chuckle at himself. He wouldn’t admit that he was nervous to leave for Kinky Boots. Or that he was upset about leaving Ruby. Sure, he’d known from the start that it was probably unwise to start a “showmance” with someone—but he knew that Ruby was special. He couldn’t ignore that, and even if he could, he didn’t want to. “Lead the way, Ruby Blake.”

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

rubyblake:

Ruby rolled her eyes again when Jesse reacted to her punch. She was honestly surprised that the whole cast hadn’t given up on them by now. They’d certainly prolonged the rehearsal far more than it needed to be. “Don’t be a jerk,” she whined, but kissed the spot on his arm all the same. Jesse began to explain that he still had a chance and Ruby sighed softly. “If you say so,” she mumbled, rolling her eyes. In all reality, she was certain that he had the biggest chance of all. She’d never been so enraptured with someone as she was with Jesse Grayson. 

“Probably,” she nodded, pouting a little when he tried to call her bluff. Of course she would welcome calls from him, but she wouldn’t let him know that for a second. Ruby groaned when Jesse tried to call her kid and she shook her head. “If one of us is a kid, we both know it’s you,” she pointed out with a smirk. Jesse wrapped his arms around her and Ruby’s eyes closed as she rested her cheek against his chest. “Tell me it’s almost over,” she whispered with a gentle smile as she closed her eyes.

He laughed as Ruby tried to throw another joke at his expense. He was, undeniably, falling for her more and more by the day. He liked her constantly challenging him and he liked ruffling her feathers when he could. “Kid at heart?” Jesse grinned. “That might actually be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” He laughed. When she leaned against him, Jesse held her a little tighter. He pressed his lips to her forehead and walked them forward. “Actually—“ He began as he stole a glance to the rehearsal manager. “I think they might actually let us loose,” He added, his smile ringing in his voice.

As much as he loved to perform, he hated long rehearsals. He was always too eager and too excited and his need to goof around often made things take longer than necessary. But he made things fun for the cast and the crew and that was enough for him. Especially when he was able to make Ruby break, those times few and far between. “What do you think?” Jesse murmured into her ear. “You wanna go eat?” He asked. “Or we can go find some place quiet—“ He trailed off, and kissed her temple.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“Ah!” He winced, dramatically holding his arm where she’d punched him. “I’m hit!” He joked. Always the ham. “You say that like it’s supposed to be a deterrent,” Jesse chuckled. “But all I heard from that was that you’re still giving some guy you met in kindergarten a chance,” He explained as a grin cracked across his face. “So what that means to me is that there’s still hope for me yet,” He added. 

“Would you, though?” Jesse asked, squinting his eyes and pulling a face of disbelief. “Because I think you’re bluffing,” He chuckled. “So what?” He repeated as a crooked grin sprouted across his face. “So you shouldn’t be calling me kid, if anything I should be calling you kid, kid!” Jesse teased. He watched her perform excitedly. Jesse was sure it would be impossible not to fall in love with her after watching her sing. When Ruby came trotting off stage towards him, he eagerly accepted her into his arms and pressed his lips to her temple. “Amazing, as per usual, Ruby Blake.”

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“Oh wow, there’s a line? Jeez,” Jesse shook his head. “If I’d have known, I’d have signed up sooner,” He teased, smirking gently at her. It was, admittedly, a little scary for Jesse to feel so much for a co-star and a showmance. Especially when his run was coming to an end. Jesse wasn’t stupid, he knew like girls like Ruby had no reason to give dopey guys like him the time of day. At least not seriously. So he took it for what it was, and just enjoyed her company for the time he had.

“Just meant I’ll have to start calling you more,” Jesse responded with an innocent shrug. “Kid?” His eyebrows rose and he gave a scoffing laugh. “If I’m not mistaken, I’m older than you--kid,” Jesse teased before bowing off. He waited in the wings once again, crossing his arms in front of his chest and watching her perform. It never ceased to amaze him how she treated every performance like there was a full house in front of her. Jesse was (admittedly) a little glad that the rehearsal was almost over. Not that he didn’t love what he did, because it was his favorite thing in the world. But because he wanted to get out, to see something cool and get some fresh air before it was time to get into makeup. (And maybe he wanted a little time alone with Ruby but who was to say, really). 

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“Alright, alright,” He put his hands up innocently as Ruby started nudging him off stage again.  Maybe Jesse was just a ham. Maybe he didn’t care that he was making a show out of his shameless flirting. Maybe he was just too into Ruby to care about the rest of it. The latter, Jesse certainly wore across his face every time he had that big, stupid grin on it. “Only interested if you’re my leading lady,” Jesse responded, a little too loudly, before he laughed.

“And you still choose to still give me the time of day in spite of that,” Jesse smirked at her, topping it off with a wink. “What a philanthropist you are,” He dramatized. Momentarily, he found himself lost in her warm, copper eyes. Thankfully, he circled back before she finished her question. “The caffeine, of course,” Jesse responded with an easy shrug. “Gotta keep my mind sharp if I’m going to be keeping up with you,” He smirked. “And also, if I remember correctly, there was an or something strung along in there,” Jesse began to grin devilishly. “Might be worth looking into,” He said with an innocent shrug, walking backwards a few paces before returning to his spot in the wings to let Ruby perform.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

Jesse couldn’t help himself but to grin back at her when she started to blush. He was happy just to see her laugh--even when a joke might’ve been at his own expense (Maybe even especially then). “You really want me to go?” Jesse pouted, staying put where he was. “I don’t think you do,” He teased, flashing her a warm, winning sort of grin. The kind he could only have when Ruby pushed his buttons like only she could. “You didn’t read the new stage directions?” Jesse asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “Yeah--Fiyero is in that scene now. And I think they might make it a sex scene. You didn’t read the e-mail?” He joked.

“Y’know if you really wanted me off stage, you wouldn’t still be standing here,” Jesse challenged. He tilted his head slightly, leaning into her hands so he could press his lips to her wrist. “Ah, see? Now this is much better,” Jesse added once he could see Ruby again. Gently, he put his hands on her wrists and took them off of his eyes. “Now, why don’t you go and run your song and make the rest of us wonder why we ever even bothered getting into acting in the first place, yeah?” Jesse grinned at her, leaning down to her ear. “And maybe if we can get done fast you and I can go get coffee or something before we have to be back here?” He offered, stepping back and shrugging his shoulders. Jesse smiled boyishly before trotting offstage to watch Ruby again.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

Even when Jesse knew that Ruby was trying to lead him, he still followed her right into the trap. Maybe it was because he didn’t much like to admit to being wrong. Maybe it was something about their banter, but he’d fall for it each time. It didn’t help that Jesse felt his knees go a little weak every time she looked at him with that knowing smirk. “Huh, that’s funny,” Jesse chuckled, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. He started to smirk as he brought his voice down to the same level as hers. “I always thought that your hair was brown.”

He felt himself go a little fuzzy in the head when he saw those adorable dimples form in her cheeks. He sighed something small and content before shaking his head gently. “Ugh, right?” Jesse playfully stuck his tongue out at her. “Totally gross. I’d never even want to do that again,” He joked, giving her a playful wink. “I don’t even know if I can look at you for at least, like, seventeen minutes or something,” Jesse laughed. “Or maybe just until after your solo, Elphie,” He winked.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“Of course I did!” Jesse defended, grinning smugly at her. “But, Miss Ruby Blake,” He added. “We’re talking about our show here, yes? And in our show, Fieyro and Elphaba are just realizing they’re in love. Like, for real,” He shrugged. “I don’t think it’s necessarily undignified for a guy to be shirtless around his girl, y’know what I’m saying?” Jesse smirked, feeling his cool-guy exterior falter a little by the sweetness of her lips on his collarbone. 

Jesse knew that he was a good actor, he didn’t break character often and he really gave every performance everything he had. It was just when he was performing this number with Ruby that he had to actively stay in character. To not just lean forward and kiss her (which, if they were rehearsing alone, he certainly would have). And maybe this time he had his hands on her a little more than necessary but he couldn’t help himself. And, at the end of the song, it wasn’t Fieyro kissing Elphaba, no, it was all Jesse, kissing her a little longer than necessary because he could and he wanted to. Once they finally pulled away from each other, he found himself unable to wipe the dumb grin off of his face. “I’d say that was pretty good, what do you think?” He asked quietly.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

When Ruby made a joke about his looking unprofessional, Jesse bowed his head and shook it, giving a laugh.“Really?” Jesse asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t know. I think I’d have to disagree with you there, Ruby,” He said, shaking his head at her gently. “Because I think Fiyero would totally be shirtless in this scene, y’know, speaking from his perspective,” He chuckled. 

Jesse always got a thrill out of performing with Ruby. The energy she gave off was electric and almost addicting in nature. He was sure, as soon as he’d realized it, but performing a love song with a girl he hopelessly had a thing for made it a lot easier. He knew that their days performing these songs together were nearing their end, but Jesse didn’t see it as something necessarily bad. It just meant that he wouldn’t get to kiss his girl (even though he knew they weren’t labelling it) on stage anymore. And it meant that he had to really try to make the next few weeks count, to learn from and give as much as he could on stage and to just maybe impress his performance partner along the way. 

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“So I should go find wardrobe then? Get my shirt back?” Jesse asked, sidling in close to Ruby and mumbling just only enough for Ruby to hear them. “Because I can totally go do that,” He asked, grinning crookedly at her. “You really want me to go away?” Jesse mumbled, looking at Ruby with a subtle pout. “Alright, alright, I’m gone!” He exclaimed, going quickly up and away from her.

When it came time for them to run As Long As You’re Mine, Jesse could feel the stupid grin that was growing on his face. He used to try to play it off like he was just excited to be on stage, but nowadays, he made it more than clear that he just wanted to have an excuse to perform with Ruby. He trotted on stage with  “I don’t know if we can run the scene right now,” Jesse said with a sly grin to the rehearsal manager. “Ruby might not be able to pay attention,” He joked, looking across the stage to his scene partner and giving her a wink. “No, no it’s all good, we’re all professionals here. I’m just playing around,” Jesse said before getting to his mark. He always wanted to make everyone around happy, especially when they were in the middle of a seemingly never-ending rehearsal. “I’m ready when you are, Elphie.”

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

When Ruby came to sit back down, Jesse lazily slung his arm over the back of the chair and sighed contently. “Not even sitting two seconds and you’re kicking me outta here. That’s cold blooded, Rube. Cold. Blooded,” Jesse teased. He stood up then, realizing he’d get into trouble if he didn’t do so quickly, but not before tickling Ruby’s side and giving her cheek a playful pinch. 

When he got to his line--Well, I don’t think of her as a Wicked Witch--he looked to Ruby and gave her a subtle wink. When he finished his part of the scene, he stayed in the wing, figuring that he’d have to get up just as soon for his duet with Ruby. Knowing he still had a few minutes before the next number, he waited in the wing to watch the few performances before his duet with Ruby. Jesse leaned against the wall, having a chat with one of the stage hands as was per usual. He’d always been terribly chatty. But once he heard Ruby start to sing, he started to only half-listen to his friend. He did this, more often than not, without realizing it. But he’d always been inspired by watching someone do the thing the love most. And when it was coming from someone he was so taken with it became all the more intense. 

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“Oh God,” Jesse groaned. “Don’t even say that to me,” He chuckled. “I think I’d rather move back to Portland than work an office job,” He said with a frown. For a while, when his life was a series of rejection after rejection, he’d thought about trekking back to Portland, joining his father’s landscaping company and calling it quits on the acting gig. Luckily for him, the roles eventually came, and kept coming until he ended up here. Sitting next to a performer much too talented to even give him a second glance. As a male lead. 

Jesse made a motion like he was zipping his lips shut and tossing the key off. Then, he shook his head a little, mostly to himself, because he knew he was in trouble with this girl. It made him feel like he was in high school again, getting all worked up over a girl who was, without a doubt, out of his league. He watched her perform quietly, pulling silly faces at her each time she looked over at him. For moment, he thought that he could see the faintest hint of a smile on her face and he relished in it, then just waiting for their duet to come up so he could try to make her break character more.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

“That may be true,” Jesse nodded in agreement. “But if I’m not having fun at what I’m doing, then what’s the point in being there?” He asked. “And there’s always nothing job around the corner if you’re good enough,” Jesse added with a smirk. “I see how it is. You want to go out for Fiyero and I’m going out for Elphaba...it makes sense,” He mused, nodding his head. When Ruby said she’d like to see him shirtless more often, he smirked and wiggled his head a little. “As you wish,” He told her. “Or until the women in wardrobe find me again,” He added.

“Don’t act like you don’t love it when everyone’s watching you. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?” Jesse asked with a good-natured grin. His whole life he always wanted to be the center of attention. Surely, growing up the youngest of four boys had some effect on that. That, and his natural-born talent. While he watched Ruby he found himself, as he so often did, completely enraptured by her. Feelings aside, Jesse thought Ruby was one of the most talented performers he had ever worked with. Getting to play a role alongside her was more than he could’ve asked for. He stayed where he was sat, watching a number he’d seen almost too many times now, and hiding from the wardrobe department that was surely ready to scold him.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby

[jesse-grayson]

[jesse-grayson]

[jesse-grayson]

“I’d have blown our cover in a second,” Jesse laughed. “Between ripping my costume and Dancing Through Life, I haven’t been out of production’s sight all day,” He explained with a bit of a whine. He had tried, albeit a little fruitlessly, to keep a low profile during rehearsals so he could bow in and out as he pleased. Some days he was better at it than others, and today was a not-so-good day. “What? I should work on convincing our director to let me be shirtless more?” He joked, quirking an eyebrow at her. “I dunno, Ruby, might be a pretty tough sell,” Jesse rubbed his jaw. “But your wish is my command.”

Jesse laughed as Ruby told him how ridiculous he looked in her hat. He could only imagine. “Yeah, I’d have to agree,” He said as he took the hat off of his head and put it on hers. “It suits you much better,” Jesse added with a grin. “You mean see me nail it?” He played. “Oh yeah, but you’re not counting you in the mix there, right?” Jesse asked, a grin creeping across his face. He put his hands up innocently. “Just checkin’,” He laughed. “See, the thing about that is that I’m not gawking--” Jesse looked at her mouth and, after a moment’s distraction, added. “I’m admiring. They’re completely different, see?” He explained. When Ruby was called up, Jesse conceded, though he made a point to make it more difficult than necessary for her to get out of the row. “Go,” He said, letting go of her hand. “Be great. Make everyone else here jealous of you,” He announced, perhaps a bit too loudly in the nearly-empty theater. While she got onto the stage, he leaned back more comfortably in his seat, readying to be just as amazed as he was every time she started to perform.

Greatest Thing || Jesse + Ruby