The hours passed quickly as William immersed himself once again in writing more pages of his next big hit: *The Hunger Games Vol. 1*. As he wrote each line, he knew he was one step closer to earning enough capital to start his projects without the need for outside investment or debts to his paternal family.
Between the calmer, tenser, or more exciting lines, Katniss's stories had shifted from the tension with her weary mother and the analogy of her fears and tenderness through something as simple as petting her sister Prim's cat, to her journey with Gale to the black market of this world, known as "The Hob," where it was reflected to the viewer through her eyes how even the injustices and the dark side of the world existed simply because the CAPITOL turned its face away.
In the midst of this adventure, Will took the liberty of adding a fight with black market criminals provoked by Gale's radical attitude, making it even clearer where his moral compass pointed regarding good and evil. Also taking advantage of the "young adult saga" shield, William held nothing back in vividly detailing and describing an intense action scene that, aside from excitement and adrenaline, made it very clear that Katniss was not a weak protagonist, even with her mental conflicts and doubts interfering with her decisions.
'I'm taking a lot of liberties, but I don't think I'm on the wrong track,' he thought as he once again separated his eyes and fingers from his laptop.
'Maybe I should add a hint that her father was killed in an uprising against the CAPITOL to add more tension and weight to her decisions later on.' William's mind never stayed quiet, especially not with stories he believed he could improve. He knew very well when to stick strictly to his memories and when to add the ideas that, thanks to his experience and talent, flooded his mind by the thousands; ideas that he knew how to recognize were not always good or suitable.
'In the end, I'll have to leave this for later,' he thought as he saw the digital clock mark 8:59 AM.
The cracking of his knuckles as he stretched resonated throughout the living room. Will closed his laptop and set it aside as he stood up to stretch his legs as well. The seconds continued to tick away and...
*Ding Dong*
Exactly at 9:00 AM, the doorbell of the mansion rang in his ears. William was already expecting it; every day was the same during Supervising Officer Robert's shifts.
'British punctuality on American soil. Robert must be about to ring the bell a second time,' William thought, smoothing his shirt in front of the mirror. He made sure his appearance was impeccable: relaxed but controlled. The doorbell rang through the house once more.
'So predictable,' he smirked smugly as he walked to open the door; business waited for no one.
Upon opening it, William didn't look outside; he followed the momentum of the door, welcoming his good friend, the uniformed man with the gray mustache, and his other great friend in a suit and tie with whom he had an appointment. The first to cross the threshold was Officer Robert, a robust man with a sour face and a scanning device in his hand that looked like an extension of his own arm.
—Good morning, Officer Robert. Was the station coffee watered down again? You have that face of existential disappointment that brightens my mornings so much —William greeted with a polite but sharp smile.
—Save your comments, Ellison. Feet together —Robert ordered without looking up, using the paternal surname that William detested so much, though only on occasion.
The officer passed the scanner around William's ankle. The device emitted an affirmative beep.
—Everything is in order. The perimeter has not been breached. You have permitted visits. Don't make me have to see your face again for today —Robert grunted before turning around and leaving.
'As charming as a toothache,' William thought as he watched him leave, waving goodbye with a smile.
The moment the grouch left, Will leaned his torso out to look outside, maintaining his playful and theatrical persona, but a shadow quickly blocked his field of vision: Michel, his agent, lawyer, and another one of his best friends since high school—always with the vibrant energy of a wise man who succumbs to the pleasures of the flesh—was standing in front of him.
—Welcome, Mr. Lawyer —Will greeted, trying to sound formal, but Michel didn't limit himself to a simple greeting; he grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a quick but strong hug.
—Brother! You look good, confinement suits you wonderfully; it almost makes me want to commit a crime to get that complexion —Michel joked, releasing him from the hug but keeping his hands on his shoulders.
—We saw each other yesterday, Miki. Did something happen to you? —William asked, narrowing his eyes; his friend was a machine in meetings or in court, but there were a handful of things that made him act like a fool.
'My father wouldn't come here, and I doubt Miki would be free if Judge Thomson had caught him with his wife so...' Thinking of all the possibilities, Will looked easily over his dark-haired friend's shoulder and confirmed his suspicions.
'The Queen has come to visit,' he said to himself with an internal smile upon seeing the woman standing at the door. His mother's goddaughter and, until now, simply his good friend, cousin, and personal psychologist.
—I'll be with you in a while —Will murmured to his friend, giving him the green light to escape.
—I'd love to, but I brought the sales reports and distribution contracts you asked for. I'll go straight up to the study to set everything up. Don't take too long —Michel said, faking an answer to a question that was never asked.
Will shook his head as he watched him go up the stairs with the familiarity of someone who considers this house their second office.
'It's good to have someone who doesn't look at you like a criminal despite knowing your record,' William reflected, watching him ascend.
Will turned toward the door. The air seemed to change when his eyes met another one of the pillars of his life. Natalie Portman was there, dressed simply but elegantly. She didn't look like a simple legal representative or psychologist; she had that regal bearing, that almost untouchable dignity.
William, seeing her, brought his feet together and, with exaggerated but elegant theatricality, made a deep bow, bending his torso as if he were before royalty.
—Your Majesty, Queen Amidala of the Naboo system. This humble prison is not worthy of your galactic presence —William said without lifting his eyes from the floor.
Natalie rolled her eyes, but a small smile betrayed her attempt at seriousness.
—Get up, idiot. And stop calling me that, I left that galaxy a year ago —she said, walking in and gently hitting his shoulder with her purse as she passed—. You're thirty seconds late to receive me, by the way.
William closed the door and leaned against the wood, watching her walk toward the living room, lost in the deliberate sway of her slender figure and her bare legs, since the dress barely reached her knees.
'She remains just as beautiful as in my memories of the other life, and much more dangerous in this one,' he thought as he compared her figure in his mind for the umpteenth time; first from the memories of his past life only in magazine photos and on the screen, and second, the difference of having her close in person and being able to touch her.
—The traffic in the hallway was terrible, Dr. Portman. I got lost thinking about you and forgot for a moment that this is a prison and not a luxury hotel where I await my destined lover —William said, dropping his voice an octave, charging it with deliberate magnetism as he slowly approached her from behind.
Natalie stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. An almost imperceptible blush threatened to rise up her neck, but she, Isabella's goddaughter and a friend of the family forever, knew William's games well. Or at least, those of the old William.
—Very good, William. The diction has improved and the body language is consistent, but you're projecting too much with your eyes. Less intensity, more mystery. If this were an audition, I'd give you a supporting role, but this is a legal and psychological supervision —she said with a firm voice, recovering her role of authority to then continue her path to the armchair where she sat elegantly.
—Hahahahaha, you're a tough nut to crack, cousin. I thought I had you this time —Will said, accompanied by a genuine laugh.
—I'm not your cousin, William. I was just your mother's favorite goddaughter. And I'm an actress. I invented the "I like you but I hate you" look before you even started school. You can't play the seducer with me —she replied as she took papers out of her bag and crossed her legs with elegance in a clear provocation.
—You always remind me that we aren't blood relatives —William approached slowly until he was in front of her, leaning both hands on the armrests of the chair, leaving her apparently cornered—. I suppose you want me not to feel limited when it comes to conquering your heart.
—That is a very wrong assumption on your part, Mr. Bianchi. The truth is that it's just an excuse, since it is unethical to have a patient from the family —she responded without the slightest hesitation in her face or voice.
—That hurt, Doctor Portman... —without looking away from her eyes, Will caressed her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
—I think I should remind the psychologist queen to whom she swore to belong her entire life —as he said this, Will gently caressed her lips with his thumb, but this action apparently got no reaction from Natalie.
—Obviously to God, our heavenly Lord —Natalie replied without breaking eye contact—. Now sit down at once.
Without stopping his smile, William snorted, pulling away from her as he straightened his body.
'I suppose she's still upset about the harem matter, tough girl.' The truth is that William had more than one dream to fulfill, and from the beginning, he was honest about it, at least with the women already in his life who had a certain connection to him.
If Greta was a good friend to the original owner of this body, Natalie was the destined wife. Since they were children, they had been raised for it indirectly, by his mother and her parents, at least until William lost himself completely and Natalie's parents stopped liking him. There were also other factors, like Natalie's successful acting career, that separated them more and more—or at least that was how the old William felt—but the truth is that she always made time to visit him and spend time with him. Even after his mother Isabella's death, she visited him as often as she could, completely ignoring his self-destructive attitude and her parents' interference. In this crazy world, even Natalie's psychology career was, to a certain extent, influenced by William's problems and disorders, becoming his personal psychologist from the moment she graduated.
So when William took control, he analyzed his life and without doubting twice told her that he loved her but that he also wanted to have other women. From that instant, her attitude toward him became... professional... more serious, although she never distanced herself or stopped seeing or talking to him. That was what gave William hope and, fortunately, the relationship had started to improve a bit over this last year. Will had tried hard, giving her his silly and selfish arguments which, for some unexplained reason, had slowly taken effect on her. Everything was improving as the sincere, flirtatious, and focused Will replaced the disoriented, gloomy, and decadent Will, but one last blow was still missing to break the ice completely and achieve one of his first and most selfish goals in this life: to obtain the unconditional love of the one who would be his first wife in the eyes of R.O.B.
'We'll see how long that armor lasts. If you're here so soon, it's because you read the content of the book,' he thought as he watched her take out a thick manila envelope.
William, feigning obedience, sat in the armchair opposite her.
—Here you go. Mission accomplished —she said, sliding the envelope over—. The intellectual property and copyright registrations are complete.
William opened the envelope. Inside, with official 2006 stamps, were the documents that secured his future. Title of the Work: *Black Swan*. Registered to: William E. Bianchi. Registration format: book and screenplay.
—You are a goddess, Nat. Thank you —he said sincerely as he put the papers back in the envelope.
—If you want to thank me, tell me the truth, William. You asked me to register it because Michel was sick and it was an urgent matter, but it turns out I ran into Michel not once, but twice —her words were loaded with an undeniable accusatory tone.
—I gave Michel a week because he was going to a sex party on a yacht. How is it that you ran into him? —William's face became so serious and angry that even Natalie shuddered briefly, even knowing it was a lie.
—It's... it's serious William, stop joking. It doesn't bother me to do you favors, but why did you lie about that? —quickly hiding her stutter, Natalie returned to her previous firmness.
—Ahhhhh, fine, I'm sorry. I thought it was a good idea for you to discover it that way —he confessed after a sigh, though she still didn't fully understand.
—Discover what, William? That you lied to me to demonstrate that you can use me however you want because I do everything for you? —her voice was starting to crack a little as she accused him directly.
—I didn't think you'd get so angry about something like that, I'm very sorry but... did you read it? —from his armchair, Will apologized sincerely seeing Natalie's eyes, but he didn't forget to ask the question that mattered.
Natalie stared at him without answering, but in her eyes, he could see the answer once again.
—It is written for you, inspired by you. I wanted you to realize it when reading it out of curiosity; I practically described you physically in the main character's introduction, but it seems my plan didn't work very well. This script is... it's dark, twisted, and psychologically devastating, coming directly from my inner demons while watching a ballet and remembering some things from my past. Nina Sayers... The duality of the White Swan and the Black Swan. The book came later; first I wrote the script thinking of you with a very clear goal in mind: an actress capable of playing the role, an award-winning role, mainly aiming for the Oscars. A movie I planned to direct myself as my second or third work as a director —as more words left William's mouth, Natalie's face changed more and more.
The living room fell silent while both stared at each other. William pretended to be half-dejected while Natalie continued to have those sparkles in her eyes as she processed and thought as coldly as possible about the words of her so-changed William.
—Yes, I read it... —she murmured in a very low voice—. It's another one of your masterpieces without a doubt; the depth and cinematic potential is undeniable. The truth is that I fell in love with the character from the moment I read the first pages. You are definitely one of the best writers of this century.
Again there was a great silence after she finished her murmurs which, fortunately, were loud enough for William to hear.
—Thanks for the compliment, but if you weren't my muse, the character wouldn't have been the same —William thanked her, not forgetting to acknowledge her as his main source of inspiration.
That wasn't a lie. The truth is that the story of *Black Swan* hadn't crossed William's mind until he saw Natalie in the flesh for the first time. And the ballet part was also true; it was a boring night, so he started writing with the show in the background.
—I'm sorry, I got too upset before letting you speak. I'll make it up to you, I promise, but William... it's brilliant. How...? —she confessed, losing her composure—. Forget it, let's talk about that later. Forgive me, please.
William, still with his dejected face but smiling inside, nodded looking at nothing before standing up.
—Forgive me too —he said as he knelt before her legs and took her hands in his—. I could have simply told you and not set up this silly game.
—It's okay, let's not talk about that anymore, okay? —Natalie, wanting to put the subject of the argument aside, also squeezed his hands and leaned in, kissing his cheek.
'That is a lovely green flag,' Will thought upon feeling the warm kiss on his cheek. Effortlessly, he stood up and with a tug pulled Natalie to her feet as well, guiding her as he walked backward, and let himself fall onto the sofa together with her.
—Ahhhhh! —a squeal escaped her as William hugged her from behind and laid them both down on the sofa.
—William, what are you doing? —she questioned, trying to avoid smiling too much.
—Nothing, just hugging my dear friend. You asked how I did it, right? —he questioned, burying his face in Natalie's neck while breathing in her scent. She nodded, closing her eyes as she also let herself be carried away by the caresses and the weight of the strong arms that held her very possessively. Perhaps a mistake, but she couldn't deny that she loved it and that she loved him.
—You see, darling, I have a lot of free time lately —he joked, returning to his usual style, drawing a soft laugh from her— and a mind with many demons that never shuts up.
'And I have the memories of a movie that gave you an Oscar, my dear.'
Natalie opened her eyes at this sudden confession. William had never admitted he had any problem, disorder, or demons as he called them. She tried to break free and turn around, but William didn't allow it, clinging much tighter to her.
—I denied it all my life but I do have them. I know you want to help me, but you can't take them out, Nat. I've loved you forever and besides that, you are one of those complements of mine that helps me silence them. I don't want you to move away from me, no matter what happens, I want you to be one of my anchors or I don't know how I'll be able to live well.
'Damn, in my mind that sounded better than a threat disguised as "stay by my side or I'll go to hell." I hope it works, but let's talk more just in case.'
—I want to write and direct, but I also want to act like when we were kids. Not to brag, but I think I acted even better than you back then —despite feeling Natalie's tears on his arm, he also felt the laugh that almost escaped her at this comment.
'It's my chance.' Just as he felt that laugh, Will loosened his grip and helped her turn around so they were face to face and looking into each other's eyes.
—I don't want to resort to blackmail but you promised to make it up to me, or do you not want to be my star?
—You are a very bad manipulator, but you're lucky that I can't resist you —Natalie's thoughts were cluttered, so much so that she simply decided to say yes without thinking about the consequences of everything behind it.
—Then you are mine and the role is yours. I will direct it, and you will be my star. You will win your first of many Oscars with this, I promise you —he stated with absolute certainty.
—Forgive me, Lord, for letting myself be trapped by this demon —she murmured as she took his face in her hands and gave him a soft, short kiss on the lips.
—You can't escape anymore, darling —William whispered against her lips as he enjoyed the warm sensation of the kiss.
—I'm tired of escaping. I can't fully accept all your dreams and demons, but I will try for us —she whispered without separating an inch, then joined their foreheads and enjoyed his warmth in silence.
William also remained silent for a while as he observed this woman's face carefully and very closely.
'It's a bit strange to think of it like this, but... it's like beating a game on medium level.'
Life had favored him too much, leaving loose threads that he simply had to pull to weave something bigger, a huge net to catch everything he wanted. It was easy, but even so, he had to think and plan very well how to proceed or everything could go to hell. Even if it was easy, he couldn't simply show up with his pretty face and demand to be a Director or Protagonist of a movie, or on a more personal level say a magic word and have the woman he really desired fall at his feet.
'Natalie is the perfect example of how much I must strive. Even knowing each other all our lives and having such a strong bond with her, it took me more than a year to reach this moment, a small advance that promises a lot, but that I can still mess up.'
So far that day he had received small good news, even if disguised as difficulties, from both Greta and Natalie, which perfectly showed the meticulous planning William had for his own life.
—Natalie, I want you to stay here today, we have details to discuss about our project —Will whispered before leaning into her lips and giving her another soft kiss, although this time it lasted longer than the previous one. A warm and wet kiss that he enjoyed to the fullest; Will sucked Natalie's lips with tenderness and, before withdrawing completely, delicately bit her lower lip, earning a beautiful moan from his partner.
Natalie smiled, a radiant smile that lit up the room after they separated. She opened her eyes maintaining eye contact to catch her breath, but the warm sensation still remained on her lips.
—First you have to get out of here and deal with reality, Will —she said while caressing his face with her left hand— and speaking of reality... He called me again.
The atmosphere cooled a little. William pulled away slightly with not-so-feigned annoyance before releasing her from his embrace and leaning back on the sofa, crossing his arms.
—Has Voldemort come out of hiding? —he asked with a defiant tone; he had to keep up the appearance of a tough guy who didn't get along entirely well with his father.
—William, don't joke. Your father is worried about you. He says you haven't answered his calls for another week. He says he wants to see you —Natalie also sat up quickly and tried to calm her emotions.
—That man must be worried that I won't go crazy locked up and start telling everyone he's my father in a press conference or something —Will pointed to his temple before continuing—. Now that he's discovered that I do have talent for this entertainment world stuff, he wants his advisors to design a detailed plan for our history so it won't be a negative scandal for him when someone inevitably connects the dots about us.
—Okay, okay, I get it, but... —she cupped his face with her hands and put on her best cute puppy face.
—Do it for Isabella then. She would want you two to be at peace —Natalie insisted softly, touching a sore spot.
—Haaaaaaa... —William looked at her for a second and didn't answer anything directly, but that sigh made everything more than clear.
It was very annoying sometimes to pretend he hated his father; the truth is he loved that man, why wouldn't he love his golden goose? This house where he lived didn't pay for itself and his studies were completely covered by him; furthermore, the man wasn't a villain for keeping his bastard son away from his point of view, he was always looking out for him and his mother's account was never empty while she raised him. Even now his own had a couple of million in accumulated child support.
'What did the original William expect his father to do? Publicly admit he had a son from his infidelity to his wife and take him and his mother to live under the same roof as his? Ridiculous.'
'Exactly to avoid these conflicts is why I decided to be honest from the beginning: all my children will be raised under the same roof with their mothers present.'
Natalie smiled seeing that William really wasn't as upset as he appeared; when he was upset, he didn't get lost in his thoughts that way.
—I have to go. I have an important meeting at eleven —she said, kissing him quickly before standing up.
—Wait, wait, aren't you staying for our therapy session? —William got up and followed her as she walked toward the door. Before she could turn the knob, William stepped ahead. He put a hand on the wood, blocking her exit, and took a step toward her, gently cornering her against the door.
Natalie stood motionless, her breath catching, trapped between the door and William's body. He didn't touch her immediately; he let the anticipation do its work. Then, he raised a hand and cupped her face with a delicacy that contrasted with his imposing physical presence. He slid his thumb over her cheekbone and leaned in, burying his face in the hollow of her neck.
—You can't just leave like that —he inhaled her perfume deeply.
—Will... —she gasped feeling his lips kissing her neck— okay... I was just joking, I'll come back later, but I have to go to the meeting.
—Good... Good girl —he murmured against her skin, feeling her shudder—. You are the best thing in my life right now, I need you.
Natalie closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the contact, his warmth; her hands hesitated whether to push him or pull him closer, but finally opted for sanity. She turned her face and gave him a soft kiss, soft but with an undeniable undertone of desire.
—I have to go, William —she said with a trembling voice, slipping under his arm to escape—. Behave yourself until I return, and tell Michel I'm not angry with him.
William finally separated, letting her go. He remained at the door, watching her get into her car with a triumphant smile on his lips.
'One to zero, Nat. One to zero,' he thought triumphantly, seeing that everything had gone wonderfully.
'I hope Michel also has good news, today has been a wonderful day for me.'
'Should I write a novel about myself? No, maybe when I turn 50.' With a smooth movement, Will closed the door to his house.
.....
To be continued
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Notes:
1. Note: Yes I know, I don't like 30-chapter introductions so I went straight to the point. Too rushed? This story will have many, I think too many, movies included so I want to avoid chapters that I consider unnecessary.
2. Note: Did I go too far with the romance? Don't look for much sense in his "strategy", I didn't even think it through well, it was almost improvisation as I wrote but I thought it was fine.
3. Note: Are the changes to The Hunger Games saga unnecessary? Sometimes I get too excited about my own ideas even if they aren't the best.
4. Note: I await your comments and recommendations to keep improving this story. Thanks for reading and to those who leave their power stones or comments.