Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

A/N: Jennifer Connelly is the face-claim to Eloise "Elsie" Gilmore. Sara Paxton is the face-claim to Skylar "Skye" Dugray. The face-claim to Pepper Spies is Katie Douglas. The face-claim to Cassian Charleston is Kit Harington. The face-claim to Anthony Lexington is Chace Crawford. The face-claim to Poppy Spies is Mackenzie Foy. The face-claim to Vivian Knight is Maude Apatow.

❝𝚈𝚘𝚞'𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚎.
𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎.
𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠, 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎.
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜,
𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜.
𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢,
𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔?
𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎,
𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜.
𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢,
𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔?❞
𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚎 – 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝

Plastic Heart
A Movie by Anthony Lexington

Joseph Josie [Our heroine, mid to late 20s, hurt, yet hopeful] [in voiceover]

I've found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. Shakespeare also said "love is blind,” and that is something I know to be true.

[Cut to secondary leading couple, engaged and obviously in trouble, but can be saved]

For some, quite inexplicably...love fades.

[Cut to J, Josie's father, widower mother, neighboring widow of 10-plus years]

For others...love is simply lost.

[Cut to C, Josie's best friend, possibly something more there, looking at random passerby]

But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night.

[Cut back to Josie, staring out the window, drinking coffee tea]

And then, there's another kind of love: the cruelest kind there is. The one that almost kills its victims. It's called unrequited love. Of that I am something of an expert with. Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories, those of us who fall in love alone? We are the victims of the one-sided attraction. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones, the walking wounded. Yes, you are looking at one such individual. And I have willingly loved HER [pan to Her, Josie's ex-lover and everlasting torment] for over three miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The saddest Christmases, the most depressing birthdays, the loneliest, utterly kiss-less New Years Eves. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest, least colorful of my life. All because I've been cursed by being in love with a woman who does not and will not love me back no matter what I do [pan to Josie holding the handle of the mug in a deathgrip]

Anthony had to pull back from his laptop, looking at what he had written. Who was it that said that writing was therapeutic? Because he wanted to go back in time and punch the person in the gut.

He just wanted to dump whatever he had written onto a page as a draft and walk away, before returning just to complete it. 

He used to write better than this. What happened to him? 

Don’t answer that.

He knew what happened to him.

Maribel Grayson happened to him. 

The woman who haunted him for three years. 

The woman who comes to him and leaves him behind.

The woman, who he, for some reason, can’t just give up on, no matter what his friends tell him.

“Isn’t the purpose of a party is to not work?” asked Anthony’s best friend, Cassian Charleston.

Wasn’t it a little weird to be twenty-six and call a guy his best friend? 

Probably.

But Anthony didn’t care. Cassian was the first person that Anthony had met when he had moved to England, six years ago.

Anthony retorted, “Isn’t your purpose to raise your little sister?” 

“She’s with Poppy right now,” Cassian replied. “Now, come on.” He took Anthony’s arm and moved into the halls, to the mainstage where the main party was taking place. “I just know that you’re avoiding—”

“Don’t say the name,” hissed Anthony.

“She’s a woman, not Voldemort,” replied Cassian. “Although they can be one and the same.”

"That description is entirely off base," Anthony said as they got to the mainstage.

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Like she was a magnet, Anthony spotted Maribel instantly.

It was hard not too, because she was gorgeous with dark hair, tanned skin that was shimmering.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Cassian. "You two were super close until she was seen with some C-List actor."

"That was their publicists' idea," Anthony replied.

"Yeah, until they started shagging," Cassian pointed out, taking two cocktails off a passing tray to hand one to Anthony.

"Which is when I stopped shagging her," Anthony replied. "And we shouldn't talk about that here."

"I still don't get it," Cassian started. "She cheated on you and you agreed to still be friends with her."

Anthony shrugged, taking a rather large drink of his cocktail, "I was in love with her. Everyone knows that." Hell, he still got pitying looks from the other writers that he had to work with.

Cassian just wouldn't understand. He was nineteen when his parents died, leaving him to raise his two-year-old sister, Kerry, by himself. Well, Anthony, Poppy, and Pepper helped out whenever they could. Poppy and Pepper's parents and their sisters were there for him.

He had put romance on the back burner until Kerry was old enough to where Cassian could start dating.

He had been on some dates here and there, but nobody stuck around long enough. The longest relationship Cassian had was a year, but alas...

His reasoning was that he wanted to find The One.

Anthony just thought that Cassian was being picky.

Cassian asked, "Okay, at any point, has she ever told you that she loved you back?"

Anthony almost rolls his eyes, "Yes. At least three – four times." He had to think about it, "Although when I reminded her of it, she said that it must've been an answer to a question – which it wasn't."

"Christ, Tony," Cassian muttered. He took a breath, "When a girl cheats on you, you don't stay friends. And if a woman loves you, she will say it to you and not have to be reminded of it. And you really shouldn't force a woman into saying 'I love you'. That's just creepy behavior that will get you a restraining order placed against you."

"I'm well aware of that," Anthony replied. "And we email each other...when she's not with Patrick. Or we talk on the phone...when she's not with him. We even have lunch together..."

"You're pathetic," Cassian stated, but it wasn't in a mean way.

"I'm also well aware of that too," Anthony replied.

A woman walked by, "Anthony?"

Anthony turned to look at her, "Yes?"

"Have you submitted those cuts yet?" the woman said, "We're still waiting on them."

Anthony was confused, "I submitted them two hours ago." At least, he was sure that he did. The woman gave him a glare, before walking away, tutting under her breath. Anthony looked at Cassian, "Better go because she bites my head off."

He had to hurry to the office to submit the cuts. He was pretty sure that he submitted them, but sometimes it seems like someone greater force out there had to mess with him. 

After submitting them to the office network, he watched the loading bar slowly creep by. He spun the swivel chair back and forth while waiting. That was the only good thing that seemed to happen to him – the chair swivels.

"Tell me something."

It took Anthony a lot not to smile at those words. Maribel wasn't his anymore – she probably never was – but this woman never failed to bring a smile to his face. He turned to look at her.

Maribel continued talking, "How does it feel to be the only one that's actually working while the rest of us are slumming it up?"

Anthony said, "What you actually mean is: 'how does it feel to be the only person not to turn their work in on time?'" He took in Maribel's green and white v-neck Mrs. Claus dress. There was a ding on the computer. "Hold on...don't go yet."

He turned to look at the computer, making sure that the cuts were actually on the network, and then had to send the boss, Iris, an apology for not turning the cuts in and even wishing her a 'happy holidays' just to soften the blow. He got a notification about receiving a new email and went to check it.

It was something that a co-worker needed done, which would take a few quick minutes, so Anthony had to reply to it.

"Is it any fun having a brain that works that fast?" asked Maribel, adjusting the green Santa hat on her head.

Anthony almost snickered, "Oh, you be quiet."

"No, I mean it," Maribel replied, coming up behind him. Anthony finished the reply and sent it back. "And what a brilliant finish too."

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't," Anthony replied. He looked at Maribel, "Hi, Belle."

"Hi," replied Maribel with a grin.

"I saw Miss Fortune's trailer yesterday," Anthony told her. "It looked fun."

Maribel smiled, "I really adored the dresses."

"You really did sell the look," Anthony told her.

Maribel and Anthony chuckled.

Maribel said, "Hey, I got you a Christmas present."

Anthony smiled, "That's convenient. I got you something too." He turned around and opened a drawer in the desk and took out a gift.

"Oh, babe," Maribel started, looking flustered. "I actually misplaced your gift somewhere. I think it's in my closet or my car. Want to know what it is?"

Anthony shrugged it off, "Nah, I'm fine. I can wait."

"I know that you'll look hot in it," Maribel flirted, looking suggestive.

Anthony briefly wondered what she got him...He ducked his head, "Here." He held out the gift, "It's not exactly hot..."

Maribel opened the gift, with the enthusiasm that reminded Anthony of Kerry's toddler years.

"At least we're giving gifts at the appropriate time of year," Anthony said. "Remember how we exchanged Christmas gifts in March? This is good."

Maribel smiled, holding up a vintage Liz Claiborne purse, "This is amazing. Where did you find it?"

"Oh, you know..." Anthony started. "Second-hand stores."

"Why are you so great?" asked Maribel, smiling at him.

"Everyone!" called a man. "Can I have your attention please?"

"I hate how we can never talk," Maribel told Anthony in a voice that Anthony hoped she reserved for him.

The cruelest kind of love, Anthony thought. He forced a smile, "Me too."

They went back to the party, although Maribel slinked off, giving Anthony's hand a squeeze and a secret smile.

Anthony looked for Cassian, but couldn't find him in the crowd.

There was a clinking sound of silverware tapping glass while Iris had an announcement to make. 

They were due a long vacation which will resume in February. Nothing shocking until...

"I have much more important news to share. It's big and because you are all so important to the people in question, you are the first to know."

Anthony and Greg gave each other a sideways look at that. But then again, Greg was a bit dense.

Iris said, "So, everyone would please raise a glass to the newly engaged Maribel Grayson and Patrick Abott!"

That was about when it felt like the world was just ripped out from underneath him. The world seemed to tilt as applause erupted around him as Maribel and her fiancé went to the front of the crowd.

Anthony finally noticed the ring on Maribel's left hand; the huge diamond. He felt like he was going to be sick.

How?

How can Maribel just go in the office and flirt with him with her fiancé just in the other room?

However, when Maribel looked at him, he forced a smile and nodded his congratulations at her.

"Oh, Tony," Cassian started, coming up behind him.

"It's fine," Anthony lied. "I'm fine."

"Come on," Cassian said, leading Anthony away from the crowd. "We can leave. I think Fen is making his famous hot chocolate."

Fen, or Fennel, was Pepper and Poppy's adoptive father.

"I think I'll pass on that," Anthony said. "I need a vacation."

"Yeah," Cassian said. "I think it'll do you some good to get out of here for a week or two."

So Anthony and Cassian left together. They split an Uber and Anthony took a train home.

It was a bit of a walk home from the village center and unlatching the gate before closing it and unlocking the front door and walking into the cottage that he called home.

They say who is where the heart is.

So, Anthony let out a scream of frustration, scaring his black cat that he named Halloween.

Meanwhile:

Eloise Gilmore was dealing with her own brand of heartbreak. The ‘love fades’ kind in her own home.

Her boyfriend, Brad, was saying, “Look, Ellie—”

“Eloise,” Elsie told him, because he was not her boyfriend anymore. She made it a point to throw Brad’s tie in his face.

“I did not sleep with her,” Brad said.

“Because secretaries need to work ‘til three in the morning,” Elsie snapped.

“She wanted to hang out with me and the others,” Brad was saying. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Those zombie movies that you love are ridiculous,” Elsie shot back. “I think I have a right to be mad.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” Brad was saying, trying to go for a ‘soothing’ voice. Instead, he was just coming off as a bit condescending. At least, that’s what Elsie just noticed.

“I think I’m underreacting,” Elsie said. “I can have a cop come onto my property and throw your ass out since you don’t live here anymore. It’s a good thing I told you to keep your crappy apartment.” What next to throw at him? She looked at some running shoes.

He had a business meeting…on their three year anniversary. Did he cheat then too?

She grabbed the shoes and threw them at Brad. Brad, unluckily, ducked.

“You aren’t being fair,” Brad said.

Elsie asked, “And cheating on me is ‘fair’?”

This was how Lindsay must’ve felt, when Dean cheated on her with Rory. And Dean and Linsday were married – at eighteen no less.

Elsie was glad that she turned down Brad’s proposal, because this would’ve been so much worse.

She should’ve taken a page out of Lindsay’s book and threw Brad’s belongings out of the window.

“First of all, calm down,” Brad said.

Ooh, he was lucky that Elsie didn’t throw him out of the window.

“I don’t have to calm down,” Elsie snapped. “I just found out you were cheating on me! And your buddies knew about it! And for all I know, you all were laughing at me behind my back over cheap beer and poker!”

“Okay, that’s not fair,” Brad said.

Elsie grabbed Brad’s shirts, hangers included and threw them in his face, “And how am I being unfair?”

“Oh, please,” Brad started. “You probably slept with your male clients when you were busy showing them your ‘architectural’ designs. You were too busy having sex with them to even bother sleeping with me. It makes perfect sense, because no one can be that busy going over architectural designs.”

“That is not true!” shouted Elsie. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Because you work too much!” Brad said, “You work to much—”

“So what if I do?” interrupted Elsie. “I work an hour or two overtime and I don’t hear about it for weeks. But if I’m supposed to accept you working overtime?”

“I don’t think I want to be known as Mr. Eloise Gilmore,” Brad said.

“Good,” Elsie replied. “And I don’t want to be known as Mr. Brad Lancaster either! So just get out already!”

Brad grabbed the stuff in his arms and walked down the stairs, and another flight of stairs as they went to the front door.

“Just tell me this,” Elsie said. “Did you sleep with her?”

“Yes, I did,” Brad said. “Happy?”

“Oh, yeah, positively thrilled that my boyfriend of four years slept with another woman,” Elsie replied sarcastically. “And possibly many more than that. You know what? I will have Rosa send you your things.” She proceeded to slam the door in Brad’s face and locked it.

“You know, you’re a stony bitch, right?” called Brad. “That’s why you don’t cry!”

“At least I’m not throwing insults because I’m losing an argument,” Elsie replied. “Look, it’s over. It was over when you cheated!”

“How long are you gonna keep throwing that in my face?” asked Brad.

“And how long are you gonna to throw the fact that I can’t cry in my face?” asked Elsie. 

She heard a car door shut and an engine start, before the car took off.

Elsie paced the living room after Brad took off. She was stressed and frustrated. Too many thoughts were swirling around her head. She needed a massive glass of wine. Or at least an entire bottle.

Brad made her crazy, but at least he was finally gone. She felt somewhat relieved, because she didn’t have that man weighing her down anymore.

“You need anything, Miss?” asked Rosa, looking at Elsie. “I can make you some cookies or brownies or…?”

“Those bacon wrapped figs with goat cheese will be fine,” Elsie told the woman. “I’m going

to take a bath. I can get the water started myself.”

“Okay,” Rosa said, heading for the kitchen and Elsie went upstairs.

While the water filled the tub, Elsie looked at the contacts, considering who to call.

She could call her best friend, Skylar Dugray, or as she was called, “Skye”. However, Skye was probably busy, along with their best friend, Vivian Knight.

She didn’t want to bother them.

She could call her mother, Lorelai, to talk about it, but she was still on shaky ground with Lorelai, since Lorelai had left her behind when she was only one.

Then there was Emily and Richard, but Elsie really didn’t want to bother her grandparents with the break-up either. What was she supposed to say? ‘Brad cheated on me with his twenty-three year old secretary.’

Then there was her dad, Christopher, but she really didn’t want to bother him either.

Then there was her twin sister, Rory. However, she was probably dealing with the fact she had gotten pregnant by Logan Huntzberger.

No. She’ll soak in the bath first and then text her friends.

After the bath, Elsie told her friends about what happened.

Of course her friends were supportive after what happened. She told them that she needed a vacation after Hurricane Brad. 

After eating, she holed up in her bedroom with her laptop and looked for vacation spots for singles. It was weird thinking of herself as ‘single’ after being in a relationship for a few years.

She could do this. She never really traveled alone before. She usually went with her grandparents, or Skye and Vivian…or Brad. 

She looked at pictures of the tropics or Bora Bora. She wanted to start off small if she was traveling by herself. England would do.

She looked at the picture of a barn turned house on Cotswolds. It didn’t sound appealing.

After three more places, she clicked on Surrey.

Surrey had to be close to London, which would be close to civilization if her Hartford roots take over.

One listing caught Elsie's attention.

Christmas in the Country
An English cottage set in a country garden. Enjoy a cup of cocoa, tea, or mulled wine by an old stone fireplace in tranquility, just forty minutes from exciting London.

Elsie was sold immediately.

After screaming, Anthony, while crying: stoked the fire, hung up his coat, gave Halloween some cat food, and made a post on HomeExchange.

Three years.

Three pain filled years.

He gave his heart to a woman who in turn gave her heart to a man – a C-list actor no less.

He wanted Maribel to be happy – but he wanted her to be happy with him.

But, he really needed to get over her – he just needed to get out of England for a while. Hell, he would settle for Liverpool at this point.

He managed to pull himself together somewhat to eat some food, before he started crying again.

He was considering drowning his sorrows in some wine, when he heard a ding. He managed to pull himself together, wondering if that was a doorbell. Then he heard the ding again and he went to the laptop.

EG: I’m interested in renting your house. Is it still available?
EG: Are you there?

Anthony felt an incredulous chuckle leave him. This was weird. He couldn’t believe he was doing this.

EG: I’m wondering if your house is available this Christmas, because if it is, you could be a real lifesaver.

While Anthony was reading the message, another one posted.

EG: I know that it’s ridiculously late to be asking, bt if you’re at all interested, please contact me.

Anthony had to be impressed at how fast this EG person could type.

He could also crash with Pepper, Poppy, or Cassian, but he knew that he just needed to get the hell out of England for a while.

He had to refrain from accepting right away.

So, he started typing.

Elsie was wondering if the person online was busy or in bed. Hartford and Surrey only had a five hour difference. She googled it while waiting for a reply.

Her laptop dinger and Elsie jumped to read the reply.

AL: I’m interested. The cottage is really only available for home exchange.

Elsie was confused. The hell was home exchange?

AL: We switch houses, cars, everything. I have never done it before, but a few friends of mine have.

Elsie wasn’t entirely sure if she could trust a random stranger over the internet to trade homes. But she had a feeling she could trust this A.L. person. And her intuition was always right.

AL: Where are you?

Anthony muttered, “Please say somewhere far away.”

EG: Hartford, CT

Anthony felt a weird sense of disappointment. He was kind of hoping for L.A. but luck has never been on his side. Wasn’t it snowing there too?

AL: Isn't it snowing there too?
EG: Yeah.
EG: Is that a problem?
AL: No. I love the snow. I lived in Boston before moving to England when I was twenty. I'm Anthony by the way (he/him.) Very normal, neat-freak, very healthy, non-smoker, single.
EG: I'm Eloise (she/her.) You can call me Elsie. Loser, loner, and complicated wreck. Also single.

Anthony grimaced slightly. Just his luck. But he was confused because how was this woman a complicated wreck? He probably shouldn't ask that.

He should start off nice.

AL: Hi, Elsie.
EG: Hi, Anthony.

Elsie looked at the picture of the cottage posted. This could be a serial killer's home that she could be walking into. Her grandparents would be disappointed that she was walking into a man's home – especially one she never really met face-to-face where he could do unspeakable things to her.

But she really needed to get away.

EG: Your house looks really pretty.

Elsie looked at the picture of the cottage posted. This could be a serial killer's home that she could be walking into. Her grandparents would be disappointed that she was walking into a man's home – especially one she never really met face-to-face where he could do unspeakable things to her.

But she really needed to get away.

EG: Your house looks really pretty.

Anthony couldn't help but smile. It was nice to have something that he owned.

AL: Really? Thanks. What's your place like?

Elsie glanced around her bedroom. Assuming from the photo, her home could eat Anthony's for breakfast and have room for lunch. He'll find out eventually.

EG: It's nice but a little bit bigger than yours.
AL: Not hard to achieve.

Anthony thought about it. Elsie lived near Massachusetts. He can hop on a train and visit his parents. They talked over the phone and FaceTime each other. He did miss America from time-to-time. He couldn't exactly pass up the situation.

EG: Can I ask you one thing?
AL: Sure.
EG: Besides you, are there any men in your town?

Anthony laughed at the thought. She'll find out soon enough.

AL: Zero.
EG: When can I come?

Was tomorrow too soon? Anthony looked at Halloween, who was eating his food.

AL: Are you allergic to animals? I have a cat.
EG: Nope. I was thinking of getting a cat at some point though.
AL: Is tomorrow too soon?

Elsie thought about it. Most of her clients were going on vacation. Rosa was getting rid of all things Brad Lancaster related.

All she had to do was set up some things for Anthony. She had to let her friends, family, and Rosa know about Anthony temporarily moving in and her heading out so they don't freak out over him.

Anthony felt stupid for asking to head out tomorrow. He didn't really have to do all that much. Maybe tidy up some stuff, buy a few things...

EG: Send me a recent picture of yourself so I can let my friends, family, and my housekeeper know about you and what you look like and we got a deal.
AL: Okay. Starting tomorrow we're on for two weeks.

They had to start packing.