"My treat. Thanks for visiting the set today, and for letting me catch my breath and not be Tessa for a while."
"This isn't LA," she paused. "Paparazzi are too lazy to drive all the way out here to stake out a low-budget indie flick. We can actually relax a bit!"
Cassius was just going to be sitting alone in his hotel room anyway, so he readily agreed. "Sure, I'm at your disposal. I'm starving anyway, and aside from fish and chips, I haven't really tried British food."
He joked.
Dakota laughed. "Don't worry, I know a family spot. It's not that traditional."
Dakota led him away from the town center where they were shooting.
After walking down a quiet street for about ten minutes, they arrived at a family restaurant that looked like it had been there for ages.
The faded sign read "Old Oak Kitchen."
They pushed the door open to the jingle of a bell.
Warm yellow light and the smell of comforting food washed over them.
The place only had five or six tables. It was clean but simple.
"Miss Fanning! You're here!"
A gray-haired grandmother wearing an apron greeted them warmly from behind the counter, her thick local accent heavy. "And you brought a friend? How lovely!"
Cassius could barely understand her.
"Good evening, Margaret. This is my friend, Cassius."
Dakota was clearly a regular here.
"Welcome, welcome, dear."
Grandma Margaret sized Cassius up with a warm smile, then looked at Dakota with affectionate eyes. "What a handsome couple. Have a seat! We've got fresh lamb stew and apple pie today."
Cassius and Dakota exchanged a look, both seeing the helpless amusement in each other's eyes, but neither rushed to correct her.
In a cozy little place like this, explaining it would only make things awkward.
They picked a corner booth by the window.
An older man poked his head out of the kitchen, gave them a good-natured smile, and disappeared back to his cooking.
The food arrived quickly. The portions were huge, the taste hearty and comforting.
Dakota seemed to genuinely unwind. As she ate, she shared funny stories from the set with Cassius.
She complained about the British weather and mentioned her younger sister Elle's latest obsession with the occult.
"She dropped the wizard phase and now says she wants to be a Reiki healer. She bought a pile of crystals and said she's going to send some 'energy blessings' to you, the guru."
Dakota rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sibling fondness.
Cassius couldn't help but laugh. "Tell her my energy reserves are fine for now. Have her focus her healing energy on passing her failing classes first."
They chatted and laughed, the vibe completely relaxed.
The color returned to Dakota's cheeks, her eyes sparkling under the warm lights.
Cassius could tell that away from the pressure cooker of the set where she had to stay locked in as Tessa, the real Dakota was finally surfacing.
A little introverted, but super talkative once she felt comfortable—sharp, funny, with the soul of an indie darling.
[Dakota Fanning Favorability +3. Current: 83]
The favorability ticked up quietly in the comfortable atmosphere.
Outside the window, the sky had gone completely dark without them noticing.
At first, it was just the wind picking up, rattling the window frames slightly.
But soon, heavy raindrops started smacking against the glass, instantly blending into a solid sheet of water.
"Wow, it's really coming down!"
Dakota looked out the window, a slight frown forming.
The storm escalated rapidly.
Howling winds whipped the rain, violently thrashing the buildings and the street.
Visibility dropped to zero. All they could see were the twisted halos of streetlights bleeding through the chaotic downpour.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"That doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon."
Cassius checked his phone. The signal bars struggled for a second before vanishing completely.
Grandma Margaret walked over, looking worried. "Oh dear, this storm is terrifying. The radio just issued a severe weather warning. A lot of roads are going to flood. I don't think you two can make it back safely."
Dakota and Cassius exchanged a look.
The production's hotel was a twenty-minute drive away. Walking in this was suicide.
"We have a small spare room upstairs. It used to be our son's. It's tiny, but it's clean," Margaret offered kindly. "If you don't mind, you can stay the night. It beats risking it out there."
Grandpa Arthur came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands, and nodded. "Safety first. You two just settle in here!"
The old couple's eyes were full of sympathy and care for the young couple stranded by the weather, probably remembering their own youthful travels.
Dakota's face flushed slightly.
She looked at Cassius, a silent question in her eyes.
There really wasn't a better option.
Cassius quickly weighed the situation in his head.
Staying was the only safe play, but spending the night alone in a strange place with Dakota...
He glanced at the apocalyptic downpour outside.
Sigh.
It is what it is!
Cassius felt completely helpless.
A special CG event had been triggered, and he had no choice!
He nodded to the kind couple. "We'd really appreciate that. Thank you so much."
"No trouble at all!"
The old couple beamed, happy to help.
The spare room was on the second floor.
It really was tiny.
It barely fit a double bed, an old wardrobe, and a small desk.
The sheets were clean and smelled like sunshine and lavender sachets.
But there was an obvious problem.
Only one bed!
The atmosphere instantly thickened.
"Uh... I can take the floor."
Cassius pointed to the narrow gap that obviously couldn't fit his frame, implying he could sleep on his side.
"Don't be stupid. That floor is rock hard and probably not that clean."
Dakota shook her head. She walked over and pressed the mattress. "The bed is decent-sized. We can make do for one night."
She didn't look at Cassius when she said it, the tips of her ears glowing red.
She was probably remembering the room where they had kissed before.
Cassius wasn't one to act coy. He knew this was the most practical solution.
Besides, the progress bar for this special CG had already loaded—too late to hit the exit button now!
"Alright. I'll take this side, you take that one."
He mapped out the territory on the mattress.
They took turns washing up in the cramped downstairs bathroom.
No spare toothbrushes, so they just rinsed with water.
When Cassius got back to the room, Dakota had already changed into an old cotton nightgown Margaret had brought up. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, towel-drying her hair.
The nightgown was a little oversized, draping loosely over her frame and offering a subtle glimpse of pale skin.
Under the warm glow of the bedside lamp, Dakota's fresh, makeup-free face looked soft and gentle. The distance of a Hollywood star was gone, replaced by an intimate, domestic reality.
Outside, the storm raged. Wind and rain battered the window like they wanted to tear the house apart.
Inside, it was strangely quiet. The chaotic noise of the storm only made the cramped room feel more sealed off and private.
"This weather is straight out of a doomsday movie," Dakota said, breaking the silence and trying to lighten the mood.
"More like a low-budget horror flick," Cassius chimed in, sitting on his side of the bed. "The main characters always get trapped in a creepy old house during a storm."
Dakota giggled. "Then we better be careful not to touch anything in the attic."
They leaned back against the headboard side-by-side.
The bed wasn't exactly tiny, but with both of them in it, their arms inevitably brushed against each other.
The subtle tension slowly dialed up.
They started talking. The conversation bounced from movies to music, from childhood stories to their thoughts on the industry.
Dakota talked about how lonely it was being a child star.
About how sick she was of hyper-commercialized projects.
How she took Now Is Good to really push herself before Hollywood could permanently typecast her.
Cassius talked about his miserable early days as an extra.
The complicated reality of carrying the 'Asian-American actor' label, and the ambition—and anxiety—he poured into Green Lantern.
"Sometimes I feel like you're a total mystery. You're insanely capable, but you keep it so hidden."
Dakota turned onto her side to face him, resting her cheek on her hand. "You know exactly what you want, and you actually have the power to make it happen. That's really attractive."
Her voice cut through the sound of the rain perfectly clear.
Cassius could feel the weight of her gaze, and he felt his heart skip a beat.
He turned his head and met her eyes.
Those blue irises looked deep and dark in the dim light, catching tiny reflections from the bedside lamp.
The space between them seemed to shrink on its own.
The storm outside was the perfect cover.
[Dakota Fanning Favorability +5. Current: 88]
The favorability ticked up again.
"Cassius..."
Her voice drifted through the dark, closer now.
Dakota's hand slid across the sheets, her fingertips grazing the back of his hand before gently lacing her fingers through his.
Cassius squeezed back, his grip firm.
He didn't say a word. In the dark, the gesture was an answer all on its own.
A second later, Dakota leaned in.
No hesitant probing. No playing hard to get.
She found his face in the dark and kissed him.
The kiss tasted like the cold rain outside mixed with the faint mint of toothpaste.
It started a little clumsy, but quickly turned hot and direct.
She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her body flush against his chest.
Here we go!
Cassius saw this coming.
And he was absolutely taking the win!
Why would he turn down favorability points he earned fair and square?
Honestly, he could use more!
Who takes the initiative in a moment like this changes the whole dynamic!
Cassius might not have been a playboy in his past life, but he had watched enough "Hangzhou Xiao Yan" TikToks to pick up a few tricks.
He wasn't some saint, and he wasn't about to pretend to be one!
Since Dakota was making the move, Cassius was more than ready to show her the legendary stamina of man!
His arms tightened, pulling her completely against him.
Fabric rustled. The mattress dipped.
Everything that happened next happened fast, and entirely naturally.
In the dark, with their vision restricted, every other sense went into overdrive.
Dakota was incredibly forward, bordering on clumsily eager.
She didn't have a playbook of practiced moves, but that raw, fully-committed authenticity hit harder than any technique ever could.
Cassius caught her fire.
There wasn't much talking. Just the most honest physical communication and heavy breathing.
The narrow bed creaked in protest, the sound drowned out by the rolling thunder.
He didn't know how much time passed. The storm seemed to dial back a notch, but it didn't stop.
[Dakota Fanning Favorability +7. Current: 95]
Eventually, everything settled.
It was finally over!
They were both slick with sweat, the cool night air sending a slight chill over their skin.
Dakota was curled up in Cassius's arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her short blonde hair brushing against his jaw.
Neither of them spoke. They just lay there, listening to each other's breathing and the fading rain outside.