"Please welcome, everyone's favorite comedian's daughter, Willow Sandler!"

Willow brushed down her dress and walked out from backstage, the heavy weight of the microphone tucked under her clothing. It felt sweaty against her skin. She was nervous, of course.

Her first interview after everything. Her mom, the accident, the breakup, the PR relationship, filming — everything.

She waved at the crowd excitedly, walking towards Jimmy Fallon and giving him a quick hug, taking a seat next to him.

"Listen to that," he joked quietly to her as the crowd cheered. They both laughed and she waved again, pushing her arms down playfully to signal quiet.

"Wow! Wow, wow, wow," Jimmy grinned. "That's some serious love right there, Willow."

Willow nodded, smiling at everyone. She hoped she didn't look as nervous as she felt. She'd screened all the questions before. She knew what Jimmy would ask. She hoped she could make it believable.

Just play a character, she told herself. Play the Willow Sandler everyone wants you to be.

"Be the Willow I've come to know." Pedro's words echoed in her mind but she shook them from her head. She didn't need to get caught up in that right now. Not after last night.

"So, Willow, I know you can't say much, but how's it feel being on the Mandalorian?"

Willow leaned back, throwing her hand over her heart for dramatic effect.

"Jimmy, if I told you, I'd have to kill you."

He laughed, nodding his head. "Yeah, fair enough. They're really secretive over there. We can never get anything out of Pedro. Speaking of," he laughed when the audience cheered again. "I think we're all in agreement here. Can we — can we talk about that for a minute? Pedro Pascal? How'd that happen?"

She shrugged with a cheeky grin, letting out a giggle. Back up the story.

"We met on set," the words fell from her lips like lines from a play. So rehearsed. She tried to put energy into them, but it didn't feel right. Still, she persevered. "He bought coffee for everyone and asked my coffee type. After he bought it, we got to talking, exchanged numbers, started texting nonstop and then because we were literally spending all day everyday together filming, we couldn't get enough of each other."

She wished that were true. But what a painful lie she told, a silver thread of half-truth that stabbed through her heart like a knife. She hadn't responded to Pedro's message the night before, but agreed to the interview earlier that week. She'd been unsure how to answer the questions until he confessed his attraction and desire to be with her.

Now she knew. She'd lie and play along, like she was supposed to do. She'd pretend and fiddle the strings just right enough to make music, but not enough to play a melody. Not enough to feel it. She didn't want to feel it, feel him. It would only end in heartbreak, that much she knew.

"And one thing led to another and here we are."

"Oh man," Jimmy shook his head. "I can't believe it. Well, hey, thank you for coming here first and telling us about it. I feel it's only fair with how long I've known you."

Willow laughed, thinking back to her first interview with Jimmy. One of his earlier seasons, she was just a kid. She talked about singing and her parents. How simple things were then.

"Of course, Jimmy!" She gushed. "You know I love you."

Jimmy laughed again, then held up his left hand. "I gotta be honest though, I kind of have something to tell you."

"Oh?" She asked, heart thumping in her chest. She hadn't planned for this. What was he doing? Going off script? She'd rehearsed her answers specifically.

"Okay, okay, I know you see each other all the time but I...kinda wanted to see him too," Jimmy had the gall to look sheepish, shrugging. "Everyone, say hello to Pedro Pascal!"

Willow jumped up from her seat, looking towards the stage right entrance in mild shock. There he was.

Walking towards her as though nothing had happened, acting, just as she was, his dark hair tousled against his ears, dark grey knitted sweater and black khakis. He looked incredibly attractive and as he approached her, she forced a smile onto her face, remembering where she was.

He pulled her to him first, clinging to her, she could feel it: they were in the same boat. Neither of them wanted to do this. To play this game. To pretend to be someone else's love story.

They wanted their own. She felt his lips press against her temple and he whispered, "follow my lead, princessa," in her ear. She nodded acutely, squeezing him, relishing in the feeling of him.

Bergamot and cedar wood washed over her, soothing her nerves. She pulled away slowly, grabbing his hand and clutching it like a lifeline as they walked back to the chairs.

She should've known upon seeing two chairs when she entered earlier. But she hadn't considered this.

"Hope you don't mind the surprise, Willow," Jimmy joked as they adjusted themselves, Pedro on her right, Jimmy sat behind his desk to her left.

Pedro kept hold of her hand, tightly, not gentle. He needed her comfort too. They faked smiles and laughter—but they both knew the harsh reality.

These interviews would be around forever. Their relationship was doomed to last half a year. What a cruel joke this was. Had their agents put them up to this? Probably. A bitter resentment settled beneath her skin, glowering at the lack of communication, the seldom freedom either of them had.

"So, I think everyone's biggest question, or at least mine: Willow, what does your dad think?"

Willow laughed despite herself, picturing her father's face when he saw her Instagram post. She wished she could've seen it. Pedro chuckled with her, moving their hands to her knee, where he rested them gently atop it.

"Well," she started with a slight grin. "We haven't exactly told him?"

Jimmy's eyes widened. "What!?" He asked loudly. "But you're on the Tonight Show! And you've posted pictures! And you've got articles about it, c'mon, he's gotta know by now!"

"He does," Pedro spoke up with a smile, glancing at Willow's confused expression. "I wasn't going to tell her this, thanks Jimmy," he said sarcastically, "but I reached out to Adam after Willow and I hit it off. I wanted to see what he thought about it all. I knew Willow would chicken out and—"

"—I am so not chickening out!"

"You are, corazón," he laughed again, shaking his head fondly. "You are. But it's okay, I've got your back." He winked at her and the audience awed in response.

She felt strangely disoriented in that moment. As though she were living someone else's life, watching it through her eyes. Here she was, with a man she adores, stuck pretending to be people they weren't. Fondling at the hearts of people they'd never meet, sucking up to those who didn't give a damn about either of them.

Her smile widened as the audience laughed at something Pedro said.

"Corazón, what's that mean?" Jimmy asked curiously. "Is that the only nickname you have for her?"

Pedro shook his head. "Oh no, I have a lot. Corazón is like my heart, amor is my love, vida is my life, reina is my queen, and it goes on. I call her anything that comes to mind really. How can you not with a face like that?" He teased her, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Surprise filled her eyes but her smile remained, though it melted into something more genuine, less stoic.

Pedro's lips were soft against her skin, and warm, like the sun kissing her skin on a summer's morning. She wanted him to do it again.

"Shush it," her nose crinkled up at him and she glared playfully.

"Uh oh," Jimmy laughed. "Cat's claws are out."

They all laughed at his words, but Willow didn't find them the least bit funny.

"So, what's it like working together?"

"Incredible,"
"Wonderful."

Pedro and Willow looked at each other with a matching awe, but Willow looked away first, eyes connecting with Jimmy's.

"It's wonderful," She elaborated. "Working with him is fantastic. I told him this when we first started talking but he's one of the most talented actors I know. I think he's incredibly underrated, but immensely powerful on screen. It feels like an honor working alongside him everyday."

"I feel the same," Pedro spoke up before Jimmy could say anything. "It's incredible to be around her, to see her portray her character, to work against her. It's a privilege, really. Something I haven't taken for granted for a second and when this show does end, I'll miss it desperately. She's phenomenal and incredibly light-hearted. She brings this air of authenticity and humor to the set like no one else. I love working with her more than anything."

"Oh, wow," Jimmy said over the cheers and awes front be audience. "I love that you guys get along and aren't sick of each other. Is there anything the other one does that annoys you?"

Willow groaned, throwing her head into Pedro's shoulder, as though she'd done it a million times. His hand tightened around her own.

"Yes," she laughed. "He's always moving. It's like a squirrel or a puppy. He can't sit still. He'll jump from one place to the next, talking to literally everyone he can. It's super cute but mildly irritating."

People laughed at her comment.

Pedro pressed a gentle kiss to her head, soft and sweet and simple, but it felt like the sun again; warm and tender and loving.

"Yeah? Well, you have this habit of forgetting how to hold The Child, so at least once a day we have to reshoot a scene because you were holding him backwards the entire time and his animation wasn't caught."

"Okay, that's only happened a few—"

"—Everyday, amor," he chuckled fondly, looking down at her as though she'd discovered space. Her expression softened.

"Everyday?"

"It's so cute, though," he added, pressing a kiss to her nose. Her breath caught in her throat, bergamot sticking to her lungs. She hoped he wouldn't kiss her lips today. She wanted to kiss him, desperately, he was so close, but she didn't want to do it in front of all of these people.

She felt so exploited, telling everyone her favorite things about him, describing their relationship — as fake as it was — but she wanted that, if it were to ever happen, to be something they shared. Their first kiss. Theirs. No one else's.

"Alright, alright, settle down kids," Jimmy laughed. "We'll be right back after the break."

—

9:14PM

Willow
I want to kiss you too.

Pedro
Fuck
Didn't expect that
Good evening to you as well
Sorry about earlier btw
I didn't know until a few hours before
Jason sprung it on me

Willow
I figured, it's okay.
Thank you for having my back today.
And for making it believable.

Pedro
I didn't have to fake anything today.
That was all me.
Working with you IS a privilege.

Willow
Back at you.
I'm sorry we're in this mess.

Pedro
It's okay.
I wouldn't have gotten
to know you otherwise.
And I can't really picture that now.

Willow
Jeez
At least buy me dinner first

Pedro
I want to.

Willow
Favorite candy?

Pedro
Twix.
You?

Willow
Peanut M&M

Pedro
Favorite soda?

Willow
Dr. Pepper
Ikikikkkk it's gross idc
It's so good

Pedro
Weird take because it's nasty
but okay.
I like simple pepsi or Coke

Willow
Favorite emoji?

Pedro
👹👺💩
They make me laugh

Willow
You make me laugh

Pedro
Right back at you princessa
Favorite family member?

Willow
My dad.
You?

Pedro
My sister.
She wants to meet you.
It's weird not telling anyone.

Willow
I thought you told Oscar?

Pedro
Not the truth.
Just that I was into you.
Which is true now,
but not at the time.
Have you told anyone?

Willow
Yeah.
My dad.
I told him yesterday.
I didn't know what to do.

Pedro
Thats okay.
That wasn't a lie btw
I did actually reach out to him
He deserved to know, even if
I didn't tell him the whole truth.
I'm much older than you,
he was rightfully concerned.

Willow
I like that you're older.
You've lived more.
You're calmer.
Less aggressive.

Pedro
Wym aggressive?
Has someone been aggressive
in relationships with you before?

Willow
It doesn't matter.
They're over now.

Pedro
What happened?

Willow
That is a loaded question.
And not one for texting I don't think.

Pedro
Come over then.
We can talk.
Face to face.
I'd love to see you.

Willow
No, we should get some rest.
Early shoot tomorrow.
Talk later 💩

Pedro
Haha
Shit you're cute
(Message not delivered)
👹gn