fortunatechange (Registered User) left the following comment on heart dyed in your color:

The summary looked promising and the underlying idea was, objectively, really good. However, I can’t help but notice how out of character Joshua was written in most of the romantic scenes. Especially towards the end, it totally took me out of the story and, actually, made me kind of mad to have spent my time reading this.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Joshua says softly, his hand cradling the slope of Junhui’s jaw. “I’d pull the Moon down from the sky if you asked me to.” — Yeah, Joshua would never say something as cringey as this. Seriously. Couldn’t you have tried to understand him a little better before trying to write a character study fic about him?

Also, the Junhui/Joshua relationship felt rushed and lacked depth in every aspect. The two of them are way more complex than you made them out to be here, which would have worked in a shorter format but doesn’t for a longer fic of this kind.

Overall, this was a truly disappointing read. I hope this will be helpful for your future works. xx.

 

Posted: 2025-11-02 23:01:55 UTC

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“What the actual fuck?”

See, Wonwoo has many bad habits. He’s very well aware of them, thanks to the constant chiding he’s been subjected to by his loved ones for as far back as he can remember. Smoking, picking at every little imperfection that appears on his skin, not closing the toilet lid after taking a piss, taking days to reply to texts, only starting off his papers when the deadline is way too close for comfort—all of them are, undeniably, some of what Soonyoung would call his weakest points.

Another one of these is, apparently, checking his notifications first thing in the morning. The moment his hand finds his phone to turn off the alarm blasting at an obnoxiously loud volume, his fingers follow a well-practiced movement to slide down the notification center tab. Wonwoo has to hold his phone millimeters away from his face just to try and make out which app they come from, something he does not always succeed at, but not even his poor sight has deterred him from following this exact same ritual every morning.

Today, though, he prevails. Pattern recognition kicks in, and through squinted eyes he finds an email notification that appears to flash the familiar, yet not any less exciting for it, subject of [AO3] Comment on heart dyed in your color, his latest published piece of fanfiction.

Because, yeah, Wonwoo has many bad habits, but he’s also got at least a few nice ones. Writing stories about his favorite celebrity to post online might as well be one of them, even if Soonyoung would argue that it would depend on who you asked about it.

“I know it helps you to express your feelings, unwind after a long day and all that,” his best friend told him once, nursing what happened to be the one drink that sent him straight home to sleep that night, “but those are real people you write about, Wonu-yah. Wouldn’t you find it weird if people wrote stories where you and I were dating?”

Wonwoo had scoffed at the mere suggestion, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose to make sure nothing interfered with the glare he’d sent Soonyoung’s way. “I would be honored to have people writing about me,” he’d said, out of the very bottom of his heart. “Do you understand how flattering that would actually be? Fanfic authors are so talented. They put so much effort behind their stories, and they do so just because they want to. Plus, there’s nothing bad in making up stories, like, at all. It’s utterly harmless.”

Soonyoung had paused at that, squinting his eyes as he’d tried to focus his sight back on a rapidly blurring Wonwoo. “Even if they insinuated you and I were fucking?”

“It’s fiction, Soonyoung,” Wonwoo had countered, reaching over to snatch the glass away from Soonyoung’s grasp. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Honestly, I think it’d make my day if I ever came across a fanfic starring me. No kidding.”

“Makes sense.” It did. It does. Wonwoo will never be swayed from his strong opinions on Real Person Fiction and Shipping. “Yah, why don’t you write something like this? Soonyoung gets awfully drunk and Wonwoo has to carry him home on his back. And then—”

“I’m not carrying you anywhere.”

Soonyoung had frowned. Looked around, shook his head, made himself dizzy with the movement. “That would get you cancelled on so many sides of Twitter,” he’d sentenced, letting out a loud sigh. “You’re lucky you’re not famous yet.”

So, yes, Jeon Wonwoo publishes fanfiction on Archive of Our Own. Has been doing so for the past ten years, in what has been a long journey across fandoms. Videogames, anime, the goddamned Marvel Cinematic Universe—all of it has been the path he’s had to walk down until he’s found his ultimate source of inspiration.

Namely, Joshua Hong, world-renowned BL actor, and one of the main reasons why Wonwoo is who he is today. No exaggeration. He played a big role in Wonwoo’s decision to pursue acting as a career, despite how his family kept telling him he was undoubtedly destined to be a Literature professor at some famous university, and he’s kept his place as Wonwoo’s role model and most admired fellow actor for the past five years.

Plus, Wonwoo’s got eyes, and Joshua is crazy handsome. A gay man like himself can only resist so much.

It was just natural that Wonwoo ended up writing stories about him, really. After all, following someone’s life so closely when one has an active imagination, some talent for writing, and a particular taste for gay romance tropes was bound to make Wonwoo end up like this: with over fifteen works shared under the Actor RPF tag, where he ships Joshua Hong with whoever he deems him to have more chemistry as of lately.

“I just don’t think that Joshua guy would enjoy finding out that people write stories where he fucks his coworkers and then post it online,” Soonyoung had once naively suggested. “Like, I don’t know. Isn’t it weird that you like to imagine him fucking his manager?”

“If Joshua Hong has any problem with me writing about him being an omega in heat, he can just look at his bank account and feel better about it,” was Wonwoo’s firm, honest reply, probably too loud for the quiet restaurant they’d been having dinner at.

Soonyoung had just stared at him without uttering a word for a minute, his eyes narrowed, and then tilted his head to the side.

“What’s ‘an omega in heat’?”

Wen Junhui is Wonwoo’s latest favorite person to ship Joshua with. After starring in a drama together, the two of them seemed to get along particularly well, even going as far as being caught sharing clothes at the airports during promotions—and everyone knows something like that can only mean one thing, right?

So Wonwoo engages in online debates about their potential relationship, bonds with people all over the world through sharing complaints about how distant Joshua and Jun seem to have become as of lately, and ends up publishing ‘heart dyed in your color’ as his first contribution to the Junshua RPF community.

People seemed to really like it. It didn’t take long for comments to start piling up on his AO3 inbox, or for the daily kudos email he receives to multiply the list of people liking his works tenfold. And so, as it is a habit by now, and just like he’s done every single time this situation has repeated itself, this morning Wonwoo rushes to seek for his glasses on the bedside table, excited to read what the comment says.

Getting praised for his writing is always the best way to start a day, in his humble opinion.

But, no. Today out of all days, and for the first time in his very long and prolific career as a fanfiction writer, the comment awaiting for Wonwoo in his mailbox is not a positive one. Instead, what can only be defined as a critique worthy of the meanest, cruelest creative writing professor in the country displays on Wonwoo’s overly bright phone screen, positively ruining his day, his week and his whole entire year.

Unfortunately—or not, depending on how he chooses to look at it—, before he can read the comment for a second time, Wonwoo’s screen is suddenly overtaken by a picture of a smiling man in short sleeves holding a white, fluffy dog, along with the ringing of an incoming call. His brain doesn’t have time to process how in hell that just happened before his finger is reflexively sliding across the glass to pick the call, putting it on speaker.

“Morning,” he croaks out, his voice still rough with sleep.

“Are you still in bed?” Wonwoo cannot see him, but he can picture the exact kind of frown that’s etched on his manager’s face right now. “I’m picking you up in an hour, and you need to shower.”

“I shower every morning, Seungcheol.” It’s an insult that he thinks otherwise. Really. Stereotypes about people who enjoy fandom-related things in their free time are truly outdated. “How the fuck did you make that picture show up when you called?”

“Oh, you noticed! Kkuma looks so cute, doesn’t she?” Seungcheol positively beams through the speaker. “They just added that feature. That way, you can know it’s me calling right away.”

“Because having your contact saved wouldn’t be enough. You need to flash your arms to everyone you call now?”

“Seeing my cute daughter should be enough to make you stop complaining, Wonu-yah.”

Seungcheol is so easily sidetracked that Wonwoo wonders, sometimes, whether he’s lucky or not to have him as his manager. But he’s nice and helpful, and he’s scored Wonwoo what seems to be like an incredibly good job opportunity, so he just hums and lets him keep going out about his dog—his daughter for a couple minutes before cutting him off.

“You said you’ll be here in an hour, right?” Wonwoo says, sitting up on his bed and running a hand through his messy hair. “Can you bring coffee?”

“You’re so spoiled,” Seungcheol answers, which is his way of saying that he was already going to do it. “Be careful when you shave. No nicks allowed today. And dress nicely! We’ve got a very exciting day ahead.”

“Yes, boss,” Wonwoo says before hanging up, turning off the screen so he doesn’t have to look at the comment in his inbox again.

Because, apart from being an AO3 author, Wonwoo is also an actor. One that has just been cast as one of the leads for a highly anticipated production, at that, which starts filming today. That makes this day an important one, and as such, there are way more pressing matters Wonwoo needs to focus on than an ill-intended comment on his fanfic. Even if said comment is bound to haunt his every nightmare for years to come.

So he takes a deep breath, drags himself to the bathroom to wash his face, and in the interim between letting the expensive serum Soonyoung got him for his birthday sink into his skin and applying the moisturizer he keeps reserved for days like these, he types something up quickly before placing his phone face down on top of the toilet.

fortunatechange

The summary looked promising and the underlying idea was, objectively, really good. However, I can’t help but notice how out of character Joshua was written in most of the romantic scenes. Especially at the end, it totally took me out of the story and, actually, made me kind of mad to have spent my time reading this.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Joshua says softly, his hand cradling the slope of Junhui’s jaw. “I’d pull the Moon down from the sky if you asked me to.” — Yeah, Joshua would never say something as cringey as this. Seriously. Couldn’t you have tried to understand him a little better before trying to write a character study fic about him?

Also, the Junhui/Joshua relationship felt rushed and lacked depth in every aspect. The two of them are way more complex than you made them out to be here, which would have worked in a shorter format but doesn’t for a longer fic of this kind.

Overall, this was a truly disappointing read. I hope this will be helpful for your future works.

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gam3b0yww

what a conceited bitch you are, aren’t you? fanfic writers do not owe you shit, nor did i ask for these sort of opinions at all. also, i don’t see you contributing to the junshua tag in any shape or form. don’t like, don’t read! feel free to block me.

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🎬

Truth is, the deal has been shady from the start. Not that Wonwoo is in any place to complain, since the contract he’s been offered for his role in this production is the highest paying one he’s ever had in his career so far, but there’s just no denying it. Everything surrounding the overall thing is, plain and simple, suspicious as hell.

It all started last week, when Seungcheol called him one morning, interrupting what was being quite a productive writing sprint on Wonwoo’s side.

“I’ve got incredible news for you, Wonu-yah!” His manager had all but screamed into his ear. “I’ve scored a great role for you in a really cool project starting next week. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Morning, Seungcheol,” was Wonwoo’s cautious reply. “What do you mean by a great role for something that’s starting next week? That sounds incredibly rushed.”

“Well, they are indeed in a rush,” Seungcheol hummed from the other side. “But trust me, it’s a really good one. You’d be playing one of the two main leads of the series, and it’s a BL adaptation too! It sounds so promising…”

“You’re not really explaining much about it, though,” Wonwoo frowned. “How am I being cast as a lead for something I haven’t auditioned for?”

“Well, I might have submitted something I had in your archive without telling you. I’m your manager, after all,” Seungcheol said casually, as if he hadn’t been confessing to a completely unprofessional practice. “It’s a big one, so I honestly didn’t think it’d land. But, hey! You never know, right?”

“What the hell—”

“I know, I know! I’m sorry and all that, but— Hear me out, okay? I can’t share much more info until you sign the NDA, but apparently the guy they’d cast as the lead dropped out last minute, and they really need someone that could start filming next week. And you totally can, can’t you? So I told them we’re in for it.”

Wonwoo had stayed silent for a minute, staring blankly at the screen of his PC, where the cursor had been left to blink mid-sentence right when the Joshua and the Junhui in his fanfic were about to go at it. Such was the life of an up-and-coming actor. “I don’t even know what to say,” he said, eventually, sighing as he minimized the tab. “Alright, I guess. Do you have something I can already start working on? Or is the script also like, a top-secret thing too?”

“We won’t have the full script until you sign the agreement for the role, but they sent me some sides and stuff about your character and the overall setting— Oh, and your contract, of course. I’ve just emailed them to you, okay?” Seungcheol was totally beaming as he told him so. “The producer personally told me you’ll get filled in on all the details when we get there next week, so for now just read over what I sent you and let me know when you’re ready for me to send the signed document back to them, alright?”

“I hope you’re aware of how suspicious I am of this whole thing, Seungcheol,” Wonwoo said, clicking on his task bar to open his inbox. Right there, in between ‘[AO3] You’ve got kudos!’ emails and promotions from websites he didn’t remember ever visiting, Seungcheol’s unread message was highlighted in bold. Wonwoo let out another deep sigh before clicking it open. “Seriously, you can’t tell me this isn’t shady as fuck. What kind of producer in his right mind would— holy fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Seungcheol asked. Wonwoo didn’t even have it in him to be offended at the teasing undertone in his voice.

In front of him, the PDF file containing the contract he’d been offered for the role filled the screen of his 4K monitor. On it, the salary for his services read an amount that Wonwoo hadn’t expected to ever see until he’d got, at least, ten more years of experience than he did now. “I— nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” Everything was fucking great, actually. “Just… They’re seriously willing to pay me this much? Are you sure this isn’t a scam?”

“Of course it’s not a scam! I told you, it’s an important production. I suppose they’ve got money to spare now that the lead they’d cast has dropped out. Rumors say he was a high-profile actor.”

“Thanks for reminding me of how I’m not one, I guess,” Wonwoo said, taking in a deep breath. His eyes made their way back to the salary amount stated in the contract, and his breath got caught in his throat once again, sealing his fate. “I… Fine. Tell them I’m all in. I’ll send the contract back to you in a minute.”

Seungcheol had simply hummed, the bastard. “I knew you’d say that, Wonu-yah.”

🎬

That’s how Wonwoo ended up here: with Seungcheol in tow, following the receptionist that’s leading him down the corridors of the building in the outskirts of town where, according to his manager, the filming studios for his newly scored job are hosted.

For some reason, the temperature seems to rise steadily with every step further down the corridor they take. Sweat starts to build under the collar of Wonwoo’s beige jacket, uncomfortably sticking to the back of his neck. Perhaps he shouldn’t have worn it today, but Seungcheol had told him to dress nicely, and Soonyoung always praises him whenever he wears it with the cargo pants and the white shirt he’s got on right now.

Seungcheol himself is dressed more neatly than he usually would. He’s put a blazer over one of his beloved black short-sleeved shirts, instead of the usual sweatshirts he always carries around.

Wonwoo knows the world of acting is a tricky one. He needs to make a good first impression, he knows he does, but he’s growing so dizzy with the heat that he feels about ready to pass out. Fucking hell, why does it have to be so hot in here?

As if on a cue, the receptionist stops in front of a double door ahead of them, smiling as she turns around. “It’s right here,” she says, her eyes kind as she takes another look at them. Wonwoo hopes Seungcheol’s equally charming smile is enough to stop her from noticing how his glasses have become all fogged up.

If she does, she doesn’t mention it. Instead, the receptionist turns around and presses a button on the wall. The double doors are automatically pushed open, a delightful rush of cool air flowing out of them. Wonwoo almost cries in relief.

“Hello! Jeon Wonwoo is here,” she announces to the room, stepping aside to let him and Seungcheol make their way inside.

“Fantastic!” A man who has to be at least a couple years younger than Wonwoo says from behind a folding screen, standing up from where he’d presumably been sitting and making his way over to them. “Thank you so much, Jihyo. Do you think we could have another round of coffee over here soon?”

“I’ll tell Chan about it. He’s been on the phone for an hour now,” the receptionist—Jihyo replies, nodding before turning on her feet to walk away.

“Cool! Okay, so— Hello! It’s really nice to finally meet you, Wonwoo.” The man now standing in front of Wonwoo extends his hand out, a bright smile on his face. “I’m Boo Seungkwan, the director of this project. I hope you’ve come full of energy, but don’t worry if that’s not the case! Chan, our production assistant, should be bringing us some more coffee soon.”

The first thing Wonwoo notices about Seungkwan is that he’s noticeably more cheerful than any other director he’s ever worked with before. It’s a stark contrast to what he’s used to, but not in a bad way at all. If anything, it feels like balancing out the rancid vibes his day started with.

No. Wonwoo absolutely cannot allow himself to start thinking again about that goddamned AO3 comment right now, not during his first day at a new job. ‘Get your shit together, Wonu-yah’, Soonyoung’s voice says inside his brain, and the uneasiness it causes is enough to bring Wonwoo back to Earth.

He clears his throat, sends a mental middle finger to AO3 user fortunatechange and their entire lineage, and turns his mouth into his most charming smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Wonwoo nods, squeezing Seungkwan’s hand. “I’m… really curious about this, to be honest. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t really have much information about the whole project before coming here, but I really liked the script, so.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about it at all. I take it you already signed your NDA, yes?” Wonwoo did. Jihyo made sure his and Seungcheol’s names were signed on the several pages that made up the contract before she’d even considered leading them into the building. “We’re still waiting for your co-lead to get here, so we’ve got time to go over your role before he gets here. And— oh, wait, you must be Seungcheol! How rude of me not to greet you.”

“It’s okay,” Seungcheol says from his spot behind Wonwoo’s shoulder, smiling at Seungkwan. Wonwoo has always envied how easy it is for him to speak to everyone. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“It is! You wouldn’t believe how stressful this entire thing is, seriously. So many last-minute adjustments are making me age like crazy,” Seungkwan says, shaking his head. “You should sit with us for a while too, while we discuss things moving forward. Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of my core team.”

A long, wide table has been set up in the middle of the room behind the folding screen, covered by a mix of iPads, laptops, sheets of paper, empty takeaway boxes and plastic coffee cups. In the back, Wonwoo sees an assortment of filming equipment perfectly set up, and a set already prepared to start working anytime now.

It’s not only the director that is different from what Wonwoo is used to.

The last film Wonwoo worked in, Bittersweet, had turned out to be quite a stressful job. Kim Mingyu, his co-lead in that indie project and another third to the love triangle at the center of the story, had turned out to be a nice filming partner, but that was about the only good thing Wonwoo had taken from it.

But here, everything feels much fancier and polished, as if he’d suddenly stepped into a superior category of filming just by making his way into the building. Which, Wonwoo supposes makes sense, given how much they’re going to pay him for starring into the project, but still. It makes him feel slightly out of place, but he makes a mental note to text Mingyu about it, to let him know that there surely are better things waiting for him out there.

Apart from Seungkwan, there are three other men that have to be around Wonwoo’s age sitting around the table, discussing something that seems to be getting them all worked up. Before Wonwoo can even think to speak, Seungkwan is clapping his hands to grab their attention, cutting their talk short.

“Everyone! These are Jeon Wonwoo, who’s going to be playing one of our two main characters, and Choi Seungcheol, his manager,” he announces with what Wonwoo can by now tell is his trademark smile. “Wonwoo, Seungcheol, these all are my right hand men in this project. Come on guys, introduce yourselves!”

And, just like that, Wonwoo comes to know the people that make up Seungkwan’s team. There is Lee Jihoon, the screenwriter in charge of the adaptation of the novel they’re going to be filming. There’s Lee Seokmin, director of cinematography and, apparently, the worst nightmare of the lighting crew. And there’s Chwe Hansol, sound director and, if the way he’s looking up at him is anything to go by, Boo Seungkwan’s biggest fan.

“Our production assistant, Chan, should be back soon. He’s been handling finance-related calls ever since he got here,” Seokmin says once the introductions are over and all of them are sitting around the table. The face he makes when he smiles reminds Wonwoo of the sun on a warm summer day. “You’ll hear us joking about him being our errand boy, but the poor kid does so much.”

“He really does. Like I said before, all the last-minute changes are killing me. Which reminds me! Thanks for making it in with such a short notice, Wonwoo,” Seungkwan says, his hands interlocked together. “We all are incredibly grateful for you agreeing to our terms. After the guy we’d cast told us he wouldn’t be participating in the project anymore, there was a point where we seriously thought we wouldn’t find anyone for this role.”

“Oh,” Wonwoo blinks, glancing quickly at Seungcheol, who doesn’t look up from where he’s typing away at his phone. He stops himself from telling them all that it was his manager who got him roped into this, or from asking why the previous guy backed out, and instead shakes his head. “No, I’m the one who’s grateful. This is such a great opportunity… Honestly, it’s so much better than anything I’ve been offered before, so. Thank you for trusting me. I’ll do my best.”

Hansol and Seungkwan share a silent look of surprise. Wonwoo’s itch to know what goes on between the two of them grows bigger with every ticking second. “God, I wish everyone was like you, Wonwoo. Really,” Seungkwan sighs, instead of saying whatever it is Wonwoo can tell he’s really thinking.

“You’re a perfect fit for the role, too,” Jihoon adds, nodding. “I think it’s going to be a great production. Have you had the chance to read over the script?”

Wonwoo has. It’s not like he could afford not to, when he didn’t even know what the production Seungcheol had signed him up for was about a week ago from now.

Jihoon’s script for ‘Let’s Run Away (feels like we’re fated)’ tells the story of a rich, single businessman who receives a last-minute invitation to his friend’s, who happens to also be his ex-boyfriend, destination wedding in the Maldives, and how he ends up hiring a high-end male escort he meets by accident to be his date. Although he hadn’t heard of the original novel before, it’s got everything Wonwoo usually loves in the fanfiction he reads at night: fake dating, tons of angst and character development, and a warning for explicit content that Wonwoo is really curious about filming.

“Yeah,” Wonwoo says, smiling at Jihoon. “I really, really liked it.”

“Cool. That’s great to hear.” Jihoon nods again, reaching for the can of Coke Zero lined up next to two more in front of him. He takes a deep breath before looking at Wonwoo right in the eyes. “Then you know you’re going to be playing one of the two protagonists, Minho. He’s a single businessman whose family and friends won’t stop bothering about finding someone to marry. He’s fairly miserable about it, but then he meets the other protagonist, a male escort named Jisung, during a hurried taxi ride, and things escalate from there.”

Jihoon takes a quick sip from his Coke, clearing his throat afterwards. “Overall, your character is a man riddled with guilt and loneliness, who only finds refuge in his work. The key to his development is lowering his walls, accepting his own faults and letting others in, which is exactly what happens as he gets to know the other protagonist deeper.”

“Woah, that’s a whole lot of information to dump on someone in one go,” a new voice cuts in before Wonwoo can catch his breath. A younger man carrying two paper bags in his arms makes his way around the folding screen, flashing a smile when he spots Wonwoo and Seungcheol at the table. “Hey, these are new faces! Hi guys, I’m Lee Chan. I’m not an errand boy like these people might have told you, but I’ve brought coffee and snacks.”

“Hi,” Wonwoo says, a bit perplexed as his brain tries to catch up with everything Jihoon just said. “Sorry, I, uh. I’m Wonwoo. It’s good to meet you.”

“Don’t worry too much about it, Wonwoo,” Seungkwan chimes in from his spot across from him. “We’ve all watched your last performance, and let me tell you that I absolutely loved what you did in ‘Bittersweet’. Seriously!”

“It was a great one,” Hansol nods right next to him. “You had great chemistry with your fellow partners. Loved the ambience, too.”

“You’re really good at portraying that miserable vibe we’re going for here,” Seokmin hums, and the way he’s smiling makes Wonwoo incapable of taking any offence in his words.

Wonwoo clears his throat again, feeling the back of his neck burn. This is so not what he’s used to. “Thank you. I really appreciate it. And as I said, I’ll do my best for this one too. I’m so excited.”

Seungkwan chuckles. “Like I said, there’s no need to worry. I’m positive you’re gonna do great, and I’m sure your co-star is gonna help things work all that more smoothly.”

“I sure hope he does, after how much of our budget he’s taken,” Chan fails at whispering to Seokmin. “Seriously, just imagine how much we could’ve saved if we’d just casted this guy first instead of—”

“Anyways!” Hansol makes a poor attempt at stifling a laugh against the back of his hand as Seungkwan screeches, glaring daggers at Chan. “We’re all really happy to get started on this today, so! Are there any questions you’d like to ask us before we start things off, Wonwoo?”

There are just so many things Wonwoo wants to ask about right now, ranging all the way from the reasons behind his casting to the suspicious comments the people around the table have been casually dropping ever since he got on set. But, overall, there’s a matter that he cannot stand not knowing anymore.

Wonwoo smiles, again, and with all the innocence of those who truly do not know anything, sets into motion a movie he couldn’t have even dreamed of.

“Who’s going to be playing the other protagonist? The escort my character falls for. I haven’t heard of his name yet.”

As if on cue, the double doors behind the folding screen are pushed open, and Jihyo’s voice resonates across the room.

“Hello everyone ,” she calls out while Seungkwan jumps off his seat, bolting towards the door. “Joshua Hong is here!”

🎬

Wonwoo wouldn’t be able to tell exactly how he got here.

It’s not an exaggeration. Lately he has been feeling as if his brain, struggling to accept a reality so incredibly insane, shut down at times, leaving him utterly dumbfounded at what has become of his life.

He can pinpoint the exact moment it started, though. After all, it’s the one event he will never, in all of eternity, be able to forget.

On his first day on set for the filming of ‘Let’s Run Away (feels like we’re fated)’, something straight out of Wonwoo’s wildest fantasies had occurred.

“Hi! You must be Jeon Wonwoo,” Joshua Hong, the Joshua Hong had said right to Wonwoo’s face, with his kind voice and his signature eye-smile as he held a hand out for him to shake. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I really liked your acting in ‘Bittersweet’, you know?”

And—holy fuck. Wonwoo thinks he’d blacked out right then and there, for he doesn’t quite remember what he’d replied to him. Had he even been able to? He’s not sure he did, at this point, nor that he can be blamed for it. After all, how is someone expected to react when the unattainable object of their utmost affections walks up to them to say they have been looking forward to meeting you?

According to Seungcheol, Wonwoo had indeed been able to shake Joshua’s hands, albeit trembling all over ‘like a leaf, Wonu-yah. You really need to work on keeping appearances off screen.’ He’d babbled something about being pleased to meet him, too, and then sat back on his chair silently, totally out of it.

The rest of memories of that day are just as hazy in Wonwoo’s brain. He’s tried his best to recall everything, sitting in front of an empty notebook page to try and write everything down so he’ll be able to keep a memoir of the moment when his dream came true.

He remembers perfectly Joshua’s auburn hair falling delicately over his forehead, and how his eyes had turned into the prettiest upwards curve Wonwoo has ever seen when Seungkwan had introduced him to the rest of the team. Remembers how the cardigan Joshua wore fell open to expose a glimpse of his bare chest underneath, where a gold cross pressed against his skin.

Then, there are flashes of other moments that, in Wonwoo’s unbiased opinion, lack relevance in comparison to Joshua’s charm and beauty: Joshua’s manager—Yoon Jeonghan, who Wonwoo has shipped with Joshua in the past—acting like he’d known Seungcheol for a while now, Jihoon going over the script and their characters, Seokmin’s comments about scenery and something about filming locations, Seungkwan speaking encouraging words Wonwoo can’t remember now.

What Wonwoo remembers too is how Seungcheol had kept chuckling over every little thing from where he had been sitting next to him. In all honesty, Wonwoo hasn’t really made up his mind about his manager’s role in all of this yet. His thoughts keep racing from one extreme to the other, ranging from bringing Seungcheol a bucket of flowers to busting his new car’s tires, but one thing is pretty clear to him now: Seungcheol had known Joshua Hong was going to be Wonwoo’s co-star from the start.

Once discussions about schedules and who was needed when and where were over, both Wonwoo and Joshua, along with their managers, had been told they were free to go for the day. Joshua had said something that’d made everyone laugh, so Wonwoo had laughed too despite his brain refusing to catch up with his surroundings.

Jihyo had come to lead them out, then. But Seungcheol, instead of making sure Wonwoo didn’t trip over his feet on his way out, had walked over to Joshua Hong’s manager and struck up a conversation Wonwoo couldn’t have followed if he’d tried to.

And Wonwoo—he’d followed Jihyo out into the still extremely hot corridor, so starstruck that he hadn’t even noticed how his glasses had fogged up until he’d missed a turn and walked right into a wall.

That was when everything started, although it does not really account for how Wonwoo got here.

Here being stripped down to his boxers standing next to a king-sized bed, looking intently at the phone in his hand until Joshua fucking Hong, covered only by the flimsy white towel he’s got wrapped around his hips, makes his way over to him and places his hands on his waist from behind.

“What’d we say about working while on vacation?” Joshua tuts right against Wonwoo’s left shoulder, his full lips barely brushing the skin on his neck. His warm breath raises goosebumps all over his skin. “You’re supposed to relax. Need me to help you remember, hm?”

Air gets stuck in Wonwoo’s throat, all the muscles in his body tensing up, and before he can croak out a reply, the phone slips from his sweaty palm and falls right on his bare toe.

“Fuck!” Wonwoo cries out loudly, moving his foot back so fast that he ends up stepping on Joshua’s.

“Ouch! Be careful, Wonwoo!” Joshua screeches, holding onto Wonwoo’s shoulder for support.

“Cut!” Seungkwan calls out from where he’s standing next to a camera. The look on his face screams of disappointment more than a thousand words ever could. “Wonwoo, you seriously need to focus. We’ve tried this one three times already! You have to snap at him, not melt into a puddle!”

What a fucking joke Wonwoo’s whole life has become.

“I’m sorry,” Wonwoo says, which is nothing but the truth. He truly is. They’ve been filming for close to two months already. He should’ve gotten his shit together by now, should’ve gotten used to having Joshua around—especially since Joshua seems to love hanging off Wonwoo, clinging to him every chance he gets when they’re not recording and talking to him non-stop despite how Wonwoo’s brain short-circuits each and every time.

But they’ve only just now started to film the cuts prior to the explicit scenes Jihoon had warned them about, and Wonwoo doesn’t really know what he’d been expecting, but it was most definitely something like this. He’d thought, since Joshua was a high-profile actor and he was quite definitely a nobody next to him, that everything would be simply teased, or that they’d have faceless, stand-in actors do those sort of scenes for them.

But no. Of course Wonwoo can’t catch a break.

“I’m really sorry,” he repeats. Next to him, Joshua coos and then places a comforting hand on his arm. Wonwoo nearly jumps out of his skin, which apparently must be the funniest thing in the world, because Joshua blesses his ears with those gentle giggles of his. “I’ll do better on the next try, I swear.”

”Don’t worry about it, Wonwoo,” Joshua hums, rubbing at the bare skin of his arm. “You’re doing great!” Wonwoo’s heart threatens to come out of his throat anytime now.

”It’s okay,” Seungkwan sighs, even though the look in his eyes makes it clear that it’s not. “Why don’t you two take a little break? You’ve sweated out half your makeup, Wonwoo. Go have Minghao touch it up a little. And Joshua, your lips are all dried up. Go put something on them, please.”

“I can’t do this,” Wonwoo huffs out, his face buried into his hands. “Minghao, I really can’t. Even my left arm hurts. I think I’m gonna have a heart attack.”

Minghao laughs softly, slapping Wonwoo’s hands away from his face. “Don’t touch your face. You’ve got quite the bad habit,” he chides, holding Wonwoo’s hair away from his forehead so he can press powder to his T-zone. “Of course you can do it. Didn’t you tell me this was a dream come true for you? Filming with him?”

“I did! Of course it is,” Wonwoo whines. A bit of powder makes it into his nose and he sneezes. Minghao laughs again. “It is a dream come true, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I mean, I’ve basically been in love with him for the past five years. He’s my role model. How am I expected to just kiss him and pretend I’m about to have sex with him?!”

“I don’t know, you’re the actor here.”

“Which sucks. It sucks so much, Minghao. God, I used to think I would act so cool around Joshua if I ever met him, but no. I’m a total fool.”

Minghao hums as he tilts Wonwoo’s face to the right, then to the left. “You did make a fool of yourself when you dropped that cup of coffee all over your shirt last week. It was a bit painful to watch.”

“Right? It totally was!” Wonwoo wails. “But he’s so nice to me. He didn’t even laugh at me! He just called me cute and rushed to try and clean up my shirt, even though it was totally ruined. Joshua Hong said I’m cute, Minghao! And he’s been saying that non-stop for a while now. It’s fucking crazy!”

It probably says something about Wonwoo that he befriended his makeup artist over his lack of capacity to co-exist with Joshua, but these days he doesn’t really have it in himself to care.

Privacy on set is a scarce resource that Wonwoo only finds whenever he’s sitting on Minghao’s chair. That, paired with the NDA that made it impossible to tell Soonyoung about the suffering he’s withstanding, was something Wonwoo could’ve only survived for so long. It was only a matter of time until he broke down and showed his real face to him.

And really, Minghao has been nothing but supportive about the whole crush-on-Joshua thing Wonwoo has going on, without pressing him for details Wonwoo does not think he will ever be able to share with anyone. In all honesty, Wonwoo might as well be irredeemably indebted to Minghao for life now.

“I’ll introduce you to my friend Mingyu after this all is over,” was the only thing Wonwoo could think of promising Minghao in exchange for his secrecy one day. “I think you two would make a good pair.”

“Wonwoo,” Minghao says now, carefully arranging Wonwoo’s hair into something proper again. “If you ask me, I think it’s pretty clear that Joshua is flirting with you, with the whole being all over you the entire time and stuff. And you obviously like him a lot, so it’s natural that you’re nervous about this whole affair. But you’re really doing great! I’d shit my pants if I were you, no kidding. It’s admirable.”

Yeah, no. Wonwoo is not doing great at all, but it’s not like he can tell Minghao about it. What is he supposed to say? “No, Minghao, you don’t know half of it! I haven’t been able to write a word in weeks, I’ve had to drop out of all the fanfic writing fests I’d signed up for, and I have to talk to myself in front of the mirror for half an hour before leaving home every morning just so I won’t faint the second I see Joshua again”? Sure, Minghao is one of the nicest people Wonwoo has ever met, but even he would be weirded out if he told him the truth like that.

So Wonwoo just wails, shakes his head while Minghao laughs again, and defects back to the only way of coping with the whole situation he has. “He’s not flirting with me. Don’t say something like that so lightly, alright? I’ll have an aneurysm on set and then we’ll be all over the news. I can already see the headlines: ‘Rookie actor Jeon Wonwoo found dead after Joshua Hong touches his hand’.”

“You should think about writing a book or something one day, Wonwoo,” Minghao huffs out between giggles. “You’ve got your way with words, you know? I’d definitely read it.”

Wonwoo swallows back a sob. Such is the life of a full-time actor, part-time AO3 author.

🎬

“You’re going to be okay, Wonwoo. You’re an adult man who can handle anything that comes his way. You’ve come so far all on your own, and you’re so close to taking the leap towards the life you’ve dreamed of. So get your shit together and stop, okay? Okay?”

“Wonwoo?” Seungcheol calls out from the other side of the locked bathroom door. “Are you gonna take much longer? We really need to get going or we won’t make it to the airport on time.”

Wonwoo lets out a deep, tired sigh, and covers his face with his hands. The mirror in front of him shows back to him the pitiful picture he makes, a breath away from having a breakdown in his bathroom while he packs toiletries for a business trip.

That’s what Soonyoung called it, at least, when Wonwoo bent the constraints of his NDA last night to tell him he’s going to be filming at an overseas location for a few days.

Because this is apparently something Wonwoo does now: packing bags to travel all the way over to the fucking Maldives to film exterior scenes for the series he’s working in with Joshua Hong. It’s insane. Actually insane. There’s no feasible way he can wrap his head around it. Especially not when his phone pings with a message from—you guessed it!—Joshua Hong, complete with the silly emojis he seems to love so much.

‘Jeonghannie just told me we’ll be sitting together on the flight!! I’m calling dibs on the window seat ✈️🥰 xx’

“Fuck,” Wonwoo cries out under his breath, just as Seungcheol knocks on the bathroom door again.

“Wonwoo, c’mon, we’re gonna be late! Jeonghan is going to murder me if we don’t make it in time to check in our luggage!”

As if on itself, Wonwoo’s mind has developed an alternative way to cope with the whirlwind of emotions that his days now bring over. It’s not something he does consciously but, in what is apparently an attempt at convincing himself that he stands no chance—other than this professional one—with Joshua Hong despite how overly-friendly he’s become towards Wonwoo lately, he’s started to take notice of how the people around him on set act with each other.

Due to this, Wonwoo is now sure of many things, like how there’s definitely something going on between Seungkwan and Hansol and unresolved sexual tension between Jaehyun and Dongmin, two of the cameramen under Seokmin’s direction.

But there’s another thing that is now obvious to Wonwoo, and that serves to explain many of the reasons behind his own demise.

Which is why today, on their way towards the airport, Wonwoo looks over at where Seungcheol is sitting on the driver’s seat and squints his eyes at him. “I figured out why you set up that stupid ass poster thing when you call,” he says.

Seungcheol visibly tenses all over. “What are you talking about?”

“The picture of you flashing your arms that shows up whenever you call someone. I figured it all out.”

“It’s a picture of me and Kkuma, not of me flashing my—”

“You set that up so Jeonghan would see it whenever you called him, didn’t you?”

“What?!” Seungcheol shrieks, his face flushed all over. He’s so painfully obvious. “Wonwoo, what the hell are you saying? It’s not like that!”

“It totally is.” Wonwoo is pretty smug about his deduction. After all, he’s watched one too many mystery-solving animes all throughout his life to fail at figuring this painfully obvious thing out. “I realised that the two of you knew each other before the introductions on the first day of filming, which must mean that you’d been talking before it started. And you’re not a texting guy, but rather someone who always prefers to call,” he explains.

“Plus, you clearly knew Joshua was going to be my co-star in this project, even though you avoided telling me for some reason. And you’ve been talking to and mentioning Jeonghan an awful lot lately, bringing him those milkshakes he likes and looking at him like he hung the moon on the sky or something. There’s no way you can talk yourself out of this one, Seungcheol.”

Seungcheol’s face has turned so red that, for a second, Wonwoo is afraid he’ll lose his nerve and crash the car. But he doesn’t. Instead, he lets out a loud, annoyed huff and grips the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turn white.

“So what if I have? You can’t tell me he isn’t hot as hell,” Seungcheol mumbles.

Wonwoo definitely can’t. It’s taken him a long while to stop himself from thinking about how he posted a story where Jeonghan and Joshua fucked on AO3 a couple of years ago every time he sees them together. “So?”

“So nothing,” Seungcheol sends a glare Wonwoo’s way. “Nothing at all. Don’t get any weird ideas, or else.”

Wonwoo does not really want to think about what else might entail. There are more pressing matters, like the Maps app on Seungcheol’s phone signaling they need to take the next exit towards the airport. “Seungcheol,” he says, careful. “I think you need to stop stepping on the gas now.”

🎬

The suffering for Wonwoo is never-ending.

He must’ve really done something awful in some previous life he does not remember because, over the extent of the past twelve hours, he’s been subjected to tortures that make the punishments in Dante’s Inferno look like a child’s joke.

It wasn’t enough to be assigned the seat next to Joshua’s for the hours-long flight, nor to have Joshua ask for one of Wonwoo’s earbuds so they could listen to Wonwoo’s playlist together. Of course it wasn’t enough, because one of Wonwoo’s past selves was most definitely some sort of abhorrent sinner, and now he’s doomed to suffer because of it.

So that morning, Joshua Hong showed up at the airport clad in a loose, oversized white shirt, the tightest denim shorts Wonwoo’s ever seen, and a pair of high black boots that had Wonwoo positively losing his mind. And, not happy enough with looking like some sort of runway model, Joshua had to drape himself all over Wonwoo’s back instead of just saying hello, and make a fuss over him until Wonwoo felt like his burning face was going to explode.

“Those glasses look so good on you, Wonwoo,” Joshua marveled, with those shining eyes of his. “You should wear them more often!”

It was no wonder, really, that Wonwoo couldn’t be normal about it. “I’ve worn glasses ever since I was four years old because I can’t see shit,” he replied, flushed all the way up to the tips of his ears. “I always wear contacts, but my eyes dry up during flights, so I wore these even though they make my eyes look really small.”

Joshua had just giggled, pretending to be endeared instead of calling Wonwoo a loser to his face. “Well, you look really good,” he’d hummed, pressing the tip of his finger to Wonwoo’s red cheek. “So cute.”

Wonwoo didn’t have the heart to call Joshua a liar to his face, nor the strength to do anything else but look back at him in complete silence while, in the back, Seungcheol scrambled over to pick up Jeonghan’s bags.

And now, after the longest flight of Wonwoo’s life, they’ve finally made it to the hall of the five-star hotel where the entire crew will be staying for the following week. It is, without any sort of doubt, the fanciest place Wonwoo’s ever been in. Without really thinking about it, his brain starts to conjure up images of a soft, cloudy bed in which to fall asleep the second he walks into his room, where he’ll finally be able to crack open one of the fanfics waiting in his browser’s open tabs and put his mind at rest after one of the most trying days of his life as a ‘fake-idgafer’ over Joshua Hong.

Then, Chan makes his way back from where he’d been checking them in at the reception desk, a look of distress in his face as he forces himself to smile, and ruins Wonwoo’s life once again.

“I’ve got the room keys, guys,” he tells the group captained by Seungkwan and his so-called core team. “Unfortunately, there’s been an overbooking issue, so we’ve been assigned rooms a little different from the ones I’d first requested. I’ve had to rearrange how we’ll be rooming a little bit, but don’t worry, alright? I’m sure the rooms will be equally amazing! You can let me know if they’re not and I’ll… try to do something about it, I guess. No promises.”

So, that is the story of how Wonwoo ended up like this: pushing open the door to the hotel room he has to share with Joshua, where a single king-sized bed awaits.

“I’ll take the floor,” Wonwoo hears himself say from where he’s frozen under the doorway, just like so many versions of his characters have in the stories he writes.

But Joshua just laughs loudly, slapping his shoulder as he makes his way into the room. Their room. “Don’t be stupid, Wonwoo,” he sing-songs. “The bed’s plenty big! I run a little hot at night, but if that’s fine with you, I’m happy to share. Surely that won’t be a problem, right?”

🎬

“Can I just say something?” Seungkwan says over his second strawberry mojito of the night. His cheeks are dusted pink where he’s pressed to Hansol’s side despite the ample space still free in the booth. “I’m just so, so happy of how well our two protagonists are getting along. Seriously! When Wen Junhui told us he wouldn’t be able to make it in the end, I thought the whole project would go down the drain. But our Wonwoo has been such a good casting! I’m so glad we gave you the chance, really.”

Wonwoo’s throat closes, and he chokes on the last gulp of his beer. Next to him, Joshua rushes to pat him on the back several times, as if that could somehow help to stop Wonwoo’s loud coughing. In what could be his last moments, an intrusive thought takes up Wonwoo’s mind: would Joshua perform mouth-to-mouth on him if it came down to it?

“Are you okay, Wonwoo?!” Seokmin panics, pushing a handful of paper tissues towards him.

Through teary eyes, and apparently not as close to death as he would’ve maybe liked to be, Wonwoo nods, grabbing the tissues to wipe at his mouth. “Yeah,” he manages to croak out between coughs. “Sorry, I just— I was surprised, that’s all.”

“Oh, why? What’d I say?” Seungkwan gasps, pressing his hand to his chest. “I’m sorry, Wonwoo! Please, please don’t die. We really need you!”

It’s not like Wonwoo can tell the truth to the people sitting at the hotel bar’s table with him. He’s not really sure they would appreciate him confessing to having been an avid fan of the potential relationship between Junhui and Joshua for the past six months, to the point of getting into arguments with people online about whether or not they were truly together.

But now that he’s standing so, so close to the only possible source of truth about the matter, with Joshua fanning all over him while on a trip to film a goddamned BL together, Wonwoo finds himself desperately wishing to have been wrong about Junshua all along.

“It’s because you didn’t know Junhui had been cast for the role before you, right?” Jihoon expertly guesses. Today, too, he’s sticking to just drinking Coke Zero. “It was undisclosed to the public, and we never really mentioned it once the filming started.”

“Oh, that’s true,” Hansol hums. “I’m honestly surprised Seungkwan didn’t run his mouth about it sooner.”

“No, I.” Who is Wonwoo trying to fool? Apparently, they all could see right through him. “Well, yeah. I know who Wen Junhui is. I’ve watched several of his works and all that. It’s… pretty shocking.”

Joshua seems to perk up at that, placing down his wine glass to grab Wonwoo’s arm. “Oh, for real? Did you watch me on ‘Killing It’ with him? I think I did a pretty good job on the secret spy role there!”

What a question. Wonwoo would love to reply, he truly would, but the warmth emanating off Joshua’s body mixed with the beer he’s all but chugged down makes it kind of hard to think properly about anything. “Yeah,” he breathes out, probably too softly for anyone to hear. Joshua hums happily either way, and Wonwoo can’t take it anymore. “I’m gonna order another beer, does anyone want anything else?”

Wonwoo makes sure to stand at the opposite end of the bar to where Seungcheol and Jeonghan are entangled in what looks like a really intimate conversation, which apparently requires them to speak a hairbreath away from each other’s mouths.

The rest of the crew members who joined them to lounge at the hotel bar tonight are all absorbed in their own little worlds, not paying whatever is going on under the dim lights any attention.

The momentary silence is welcomed by his racing heart, which thanks him for stepping away from the most prolific source of insanity Wonwoo has ever taken part in. Not for the first time since the filming started, he considers ignoring the NDA he signed altogether and just calling Soonyoung to tell him all about what has been going on.

Where would he start, though? With being cast as a replacement for Wen Junhui? Having become strangely close to Joshua Hong? Being in the fucking Maldives with the entire filming crew? For fuck’s sake, ‘Bittersweet’ was filmed with semi-professional cameras and a dream. How is this all not a dream?

“Earth to Wonwoo,” Joshua says next to his ear, startling him out of his haze. “Did you hear anything I said?”

Wonwoo gasps, his heart jackhammering inside his chest as he turns around to face him. “What?”

Joshua rolls his eyes with the fondness Wonwoo has learned is, for some reason he doesn’t understand, reserved only for him. “I was asking you if you’re ready for the scenes we’re filming tomorrow,” he—apparently—repeats, a mischievous smile on his full, pink lips. “We’ll really have to kiss then, you know.”

Fuck Wonwoo’s stupid life, really. “I— well, duh. It’s, it’s just kissing, isn’t it? I’ve been kissed before!”

“I didn’t doubt that at all,” Joshua chuckles. “But you’re the one who will actually be kissing me! Haven’t you studied your part, huh?”

As it should be evident from the way cold sweat has started to drip down the back of Wonwoo’s neck, he has, indeed, studied his part. Because of this, he knows what will be waiting for him first thing in the morning tomorrow: the shooting of one of the final scenes of the series, where his character and Joshua meet up at the beach right after dawn to take part in one of the most romantic scenes of the whole series.

“So? What do you say?” Joshua is asking him, a light flush on his cheeks.

Wonwoo blinks. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” he says lamely.

“Am I so boring that you can’t pay attention to me for longer than a minute?” Joshua actually, very visibly pouts. Wonwoo has to fight hard against the urge to drop to his knees and beg for his forgiveness. “I was asking you if you wanted to practice a little bit now.”

Yeah, right. Wonwoo’s mind surely has done a good job at making this dream look and feel realistic enough, but Wonwoo is not as much of a fool as he believes himself to be. There is no way Joshua Hong just asked him if he wanted to practice kissing on the same night they’ll be sharing a hotel bed. That sort of thing only happened in the stories Wonwoo used to write when he was sixteen years old, trying to make a name for himself on fanfic.net.

But then Joshua is reaching over to place his hand over Wonwoo’s, and his touch is way too firm not to be real. Wonwoo’s heart skips a beat. “What?” he croaks out, completely out of his depth.

Joshua just laughs again. “See? You’re way too nervous about it, even if you’re pretending not to be! So, I think it’ll be good if we practice for a second now. Come on, lean a little bit closer.”

Wonwoo doesn’t manage to move a single muscle, but it’s not like Joshua seems to care much about it. Within a second he’s got a hand on Wonwoo’s shoulder, and then he’s tilting his body forward until his very full, wine-sweet lips are brushing Wonwoo’s dry ones in a chaste little peck.

The touch is gone as fast as it’d come, but Wonwoo’s wide open eyes remain as proof that it happened. As if things could’ve been any different, Joshua giggles and presses his finger to Wonwoo’s cheek. “Don’t look so distraught! Was it really that bad?”

Bad? “No! No, of course not! I, I just—” Survival instinct takes over Wonwoo’s brain and, once again, he finds himself talking even though he feels like he’s about to faint. “I just wasn’t, didn’t… Is that— do you do this with everyone?”

Joshua has to support himself on the hand he still hasn’t removed from Wonwoo’s shoulder to avoid doubling over with laughter. “Why, would you be jealous if I said I did?”

“That’s not— I’m just curious. I’ve never… practiced this sort of thing before.” Wonwoo hadn’t noticed how bright he’d already been blushing, but now he’s painfully aware of how the flush is spreading all the way down his neck.

Joshua seems to consider the question for a moment, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Well, definitely not with everyone,” is his final reply. “For example, I wouldn’t have done it if it had been Junhui instead of you.”

Wonwoo’s mouth runs before he can even think about stopping it from doing so. “Because you’ve already kissed him before?”

“Well, that’d be one of the reasons,” Joshua chuckles. “But also, he’s dating a really influential producer, so I wouldn’t wanna ruin my career like that, you know?”

And, just like that, one of Wonwoo’s fundamental truths comes crashing down into the ground like a house of cards.

“But anyways! What do you say we head up to the room? I’m really tired, Wonwoo. Can we go to sleep?”

It doesn’t hurt not even half as much as he’d thought it would.

🎬

“Wow, what’s with your chemistry today? You two are doing amazing this morning!”

Seungkwan’s loud call brings Wonwoo back to himself. Slowly, he gains consciousness of how he’s standing barefoot on still cool sand while the sun rises over the horizon, tinting the sea with an ethereal, silver cast. It takes him a bit longer to be able to look away from Joshua, though, who stands in front of him looking like someone straight out of a painting.

“Well done, Wonwoo,” he says gently, giving a quick squeeze to the hand he’s still holding. “We really are, huh?”

“You totally are,” Seungkwan replies, unaware of the rollercoaster Wonwoo’s heart is being put through. “Keep it up, alright? We’re in for much more today!”

Wonwoo knows. Really. He is well aware of how it’s only eight in the morning, and that he’s got a day full of filming several intimate scenes with Joshua ahead.

He’s not nearly as nervous about it as he’d been twenty-four hours ago, though.

Last night, after Wonwoo had followed Joshua out of the hotel bar like a puppy, Joshu kept spitting out non-sense. Stuff like “You’re really so cute, Wonwoo. So handsome too. Really, I’m so glad I got to meet you” and “You react so sweetly to my teasing, seriously. Can you blame me for wanting to make you a little bit flustered? I just wanna eat you up”.

Wonwoo’s mind wasn’t really catching up with the situation, always so keen on trying to protect him from making assumptions that would end with whatever little sanity he’s got left. As a consequence, and much to Wonwoo’s belated horror, it also stopped filtering the words that came out of his mouth. “Stop, please,” he’d heard himself say, his entire face burning red. “You’re literally the most beautiful man in the world, Joshua. How can you say something like that to me?”

And then Joshua, apparently not weirded out by Wonwoo’s pathetic ways, had pushed him against the wall by their room’s door and pressed a deep, long kiss to Wonwoo’s mouth that—quite literally—took his breath away.

“Another free practice for you,” Joshua had mumbled against Wonwoo’s lax mouth. “Let’s do well tomorrow, and then we can give the real thing a try. What do you say?”

“Fuck yes,” Wonwoo replied, exhilarated

He doesn’t remember much of what happened after that. He’d gotten ready for bed on autopilot, while Joshua performed an intricately difficult skincare routine before getting under the sheets next to him.

“Good night, babe,” Joshua had hummed, curling up on his side so he was facing the wall instead of Wonwoo. “Sleep tight!”

As if. It took Wonwoo forever to fall asleep, his mind racing through all and every single wild thought about Joshua Hong he’s ever had. In the end, though, exhausted from the trip and the shock from whatever Joshua had chosen to put him through, Wonwoo had promised himself one single thing before finally taking off his glasses and succumbing to sleep: that he’d act cool about it in the morning, for the sake of his sanity, his career and his dreams.

“Alright then. Let’s go with the kissing cut now, okay?” Seungkwan directs, clapping his hands. “As you guys know, there’s no real script for this one. I want you two to act as natural as possible while staying in character, with Minho feeling vulnerable now that he’s let down his walls and Jisung reassuring him. We can do as many takes as needed, so don’t rush yourselves and just do your best!”

Wonwoo takes in a deep breath, his lungs feeling too big for the constraints of his ribcage. This is the one scene that will define his worth as a BL lead—the one that will finally show viewers what they’ve been aching to see: pure emotion, emanating from the kind of love that can only bloom in far-fetched circumstances like the ones their characters find themselves in.

So, when Seungkwan gives the final call and the cameras start rolling, Wonwoo does the one thing he knows himself to be good at. He schools his face into a troubled expression, his brows pinched as he turns his head away from Joshua, immersing himself in his role.

“It’s not that simple for me,” he says, pained. “I’m used to being on my own, Jisung. Trust is not something that comes so easily to me.”

A beat goes by, with the morning breeze hitting Wonwoo’s cheeks. And then Joshua is moving, taking a step closer to him on the sand and extending his arm towards him.

“Minho. Look at me.”

Wonwoo does. His eyes finally meet Joshua’s, and the hard kick his heart gives inside his chest is not fictional at all. He’s truly so gorgeous, with his auburn hair falling softly over his forehead, and a loose shirt flowing along to the blowing of the breeze. Wonwoo cannot even worry about how his longing expression is going to be immortalized forever.

Joshua takes another step towards him, until their toes are almost touching. Wonwoo’s cheeks burn.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Joshua says softly, his hand cradling the slope of Wonwoo’s jaw. “I’d pull the Moon down from the sky if you asked me to.”

Huh.

Joshua’s mouth crashes against Wonwoo’s so quickly that he doesn’t have time to brace himself. He is pliant under the assault of Joshua’s lips, his mouth parted to allow Joshua’s tongue in. Wonwoo’s hands come to rest on Joshua’s waist instinctively, but he’s too out of it to do anything else.

“Cut!” Seungkwan shouts then, luckily for a Wonwoo whose vision is starting to blur. “Oh my god, that was fucking great you guys! What the hell?”

“It was?” Joshua asks coyly. He hasn’t stepped out of the hold Wonwoo’s arms have around him yet. “That dialogue is so cringey and definitely something I would never say, but I thought it’d sound good if Jisung did so here. Did you really like it?”

“It totally, absolutely was! It’s exactly what I had envisioned for this scene.” Seungkwan keeps beaming, once again unaware of the shock so blatantly evident on Wonwoo’s face. “The line delivery was fantastic, Joshua, but the expression Wonwoo made! That’s one of the most realistic looks of surprise I’ve ever seen! Good job, guys. Good job!”

Surprise is one way to call it.

The commentWonwoo woke up to on the first day of filming flashes behind his eyelids when he blinks, and a growing sense of dread settles on the pit of his stomach.

It’s a coincidence. It has to be one. There’s no way in hell someone like Joshua would read fanfiction, much less fanfiction written by Wonwoo. He’s probably being paranoid—doesn’t Soonyoung call that one of his bad habits, too?

“Well done, Wonwoo,” Joshua hums, giving Wonwoo’s flushed cheek a pinch. “Let’s keep going, okay?”

Wonwoo tries to smile.

Unaware of what he’s just done, Joshua simply laughs.

🎬

Wonwoo films the last scene of the day legally blind.

It’s not a script requirement, but instead a consequence of his own fixations. Ever since he was a teen and watched a video blog about it, Wonwoo has been ridden by a great fear of getting into water while wearing contact lenses.

Glasses are not on the table for the recording of a scene taking place inside a pool, so there isn’t much more Wonwoo can do about it.

“Don’t worry,” Joshua says before the cameras start rolling, giving Wonwoo’s hand a squeeze. “I’ll guide you all the way inside, and then you just have to lean into me.”

And that’s exactly what he does, under the close look of all the cameramen stationed around the hotel’s pool that’s been reserved just for them on this fine evening. Under the golden lighting of the sunset, Joshua and Wonwoo turn into Jisung and Minho once again, letting the cool water lick up their naked torsos until it comes to reach just beneath their chests.

There isn’t much dialogue in this scene—a few stray comments about the events that took place during that day, that die down the moment Joshua presses Wonwoo against the pool wall.

“You’re so hot,” Joshua says against his mouth, sucking on Wonwoo’s bottom lip. It feels too real for Wonwoo not to groan. “I like you so much.”

That is exactly the gist of the scene: a heavy, heated make out session inside the pool, which never fails to make the public squeal with joy.

Joshua delivers, ever the dedicated professional. But Wonwoo, possessed by the spirit of some fanfic protagonist, stands up to the challenge. Their lips clash together wetly, tongues licking inside each other’s mouths.

Without being able to see, it becomes so easy for Wonwoo to forget where he is. Especially when Joshua, not only ignoring every and all rules of decorum but also destroying Wonwoo’s headcanons about what he’s like when it comes to intimacy, sneaks his hand underwater to grab at Wonwoo’s inner thigh, making him gasp.

“Fuck,” Wonwoo breathes out shakily.

Joshua hums contently and kisses him again, tangling his free hand on Wonwoo’s already wet hair.

Standing next to one of the cameras, Seokmin and Seungkwan look at each other with matching knowing grins.

After filming finally wraps up and they’re dismissed until tomorrow, Joshua doesn’t even let Wonwoo change out of his bathrobe before pushing him down on their shared bed.

“You’ve got no idea how bad I wanted this,” Joshua grunts, frantically tugging at the tie around Wonwoo’s waist. “I’ve been waiting for so long, Wonwoo. You’re so hot.”

“Y-You have?” It’s not easy for Wonwoo to talk when Joshua is running his hand down the length of his torso, reaching down to start palming him over his boxers. He never fails at making any coherent thought disappear from his brain. “Fuck, Joshua. Joshua, you’re so pretty. How are you so pretty?”

“You really think so?” Joshua grins, nuzzling at Wonwoo’s cheek. His nose bumps against the rim of Wonwoo’s glasses. “Of course I have. Haven’t you seen yourself? Really, I’m surprised at how naive you acted at my flirting attempts. At first I thought you didn’t like me at all.”

“I don’t—” A loud gasp is pushed out of Wonwoo’s chest when Joshua’s hand gives a soft squeeze to his hardening cock. “Fuck. Fuck. How could I— I like you so much! I like you so much, Joshua.”

Joshua laughs softly, pressing wet kisses down Wonwoo’s neck. He’s driving him so incredibly crazy that Wonwoo is not sure he’ll be able to last longer than a minute. “Oh trust me, I can tell now. You’re so cute, Wonwoo,” he coos, sucking on the sensitive spot behind Wonwoo’s ear. He pushes himself up, then, looking down at Wonwoo with a mischievous look on his eye. “Wanna suck me off?”

Wonwoo must faint for a short while then, because the next time he slips back into consciousness, he finds himself kneeling down on the hotel room floor in nothing but his glasses and his boxers, his hands on Joshua’s soft, pale thighs.

“There’s a good boy,” Joshua says, his fingers tugging carefully at Wonwoo’s hair until he lets out a soft moan. “You’ll make me feel good, right?”

Wonwoo would have never in a million years imagined that he could end up in this position. In his imagination, Joshua was always timid, letting himself be manhandled in whatever ways the characters Wonwoo projected himself onto seemed fit. But the real Joshua—the one who’s got Wonwoo wrapped around his finger with his charm and his wit—doesn’t budge.

There’s nothing Wonwoo can do, except for doing exactly whatever Joshua asks him to.

So Wonwoo slides Joshua’s boxers down his legs, wraps his hand around his already hard cock, and leans forward to take the head into his mouth. Joshua’s stomach clenches as Wonwoo pushes himself further down his length, relaxing his throat to take as much of him inside as possible.

“Holy fuck,” Joshua breathes out shakily, moving his leg until his shin is pressed firmly against Wonwoo’s still clothed crotch. “You’re good at this, huh? Such a good boy, Wonwoo. Taking me in so well.”

Wonwoo comes so fucking hard he sees stars behind his eyes.

It washes over him like a tidal wave, unannounced and so, so mindblowing that it leaves him feeling boneless in between Joshua’s legs.

“Did you just cum in your pants? Fuck. Fuck, Wonwoo, I’m going to—” Joshua’s voice is strained when it reaches Wonwoo’s ears, and not even a second later he’s coming in Wonwoo’s mouth, letting out the most blissful sound Wonwoo has ever listened to.

That is how Wonwoo’s wildest dream comes true, and also how the best five minutes of his life end.

When Wonwoo wakes up curled on his side, it takes him a moment to gain awareness of where he is. The morning sunlight filtering in through the curtains covers the room in warm hues and, although he doesn ’t see anything without his glasses on, he can hear the distant chirping of birds outside.

Be it any other day, Wonwoo would’ve already reached over to the bedside table to check the notifications on his phone. But today, his sacred morning ritual is altered by the presence laying down next to him on the soft mattress.

Just barely, Wonwoo can make out the shape of Joshua laying on his back, with his own phone held right above his face. The memories from the prior night flood back into Wonwoo’s mind, and he’s about to reach over to attempt to press a kiss to what he figures is Joshua’s cheek when he catches sight of Joshua’s phone’s screen.

Though incredibly blurry due to Wonwoo’s poor vision, the display on the screen is so familiar that air gets stuck in Wonwoo’s throat. Pattern recognition kicks in, for Wonwoo would recognise those colors anywhere.

Joshua is, undeniably, browsing through Wonwoo’s account profile on Archive Of Our Own.

As if the stray pieces of an unfinished 1000-pieces puzzle finally came together, a truth so seemingly far-fetched that it makes Wonwoo dizzy takes shape in his brain: Joshua Hong reads fanfics starring himself and, by the hand of some divine punishment Wonwoo must’ve earned himself in some previous life, he’s read and left a hate comment on Wonwoo’s story.

Just a mere few hours after having his dream of having sex with Joshua come true, Wonwoo’s worst nightmare materializes right before his eyes: Joshua Hong hates him.

Just how much more of a joke can someone’s life become?

“Wonwoo? Are you awake?” Joshua says then, his voice still rough with sleep as he locks his phone and turns to face Wonwoo. His hand reaches over to cradle Wonwoo’s jaw, and he leans forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Good morning, handsome. Did you sleep well?”

It takes Wonwoo a moment to find his voice. “Morning,” he croaks out, reaching behind him to grab his glasses from the bedside table. “I did— I slept well. Uhm. Did you?”

“What’s with that stuttering?” Joshua giggles, maneuvering himself to straddle Wonwoo’s waist, his hands resting on his chest while Wonwoo slips his glasses on. “Of course I did. I was sleeping next to a really handsome guy, after all.”

Wonwoo’s mind tends to short-circuit around Joshua. Rational thoughts are quick to dissolve into thin air anytime he’s near, but the idea plaguing Wonwoo’s mind right now is so irrational that it stays, clinging to his every cell until Wonwoo can’t take it anymore.

He figures it’ll hurt less to remove the bandaid all at once.

“Uh, Joshua,” he says, while Joshua leans forward to run a finger down the side of his face. But not even the sweet, gentle touch coming from the literal love of his life is enough to derail Wonwoo’s train of thought. “I’m going to tell you something, okay? And you have to promise to be honest with me when you reply. Please.”

Joshua laughs, that angelic sound that has fossilized itself forever in between Wonwoo’s ribs, making it hard to breathe whenever he hears it. “My, what is it? Could it be that I already know the answer?”

Wonwoo can’t tell what would be worse, if Joshua knew it or not, so he just shrugs. “I don’t know. But if you do—”

“Let’s say it at the same time,” Joshua says, his gaze full of mischief. “C’mon, on the count of three! One, two, three—”

“Yes, Wonwoo, I want to be your boyfriend.”

“I know you’re user ‘fortunatechange’ on Archive Of Our Own.”

Quietness falls over the room then, the silence deafening. For the first time since he met him, Joshua looks genuinely surprised, confusion slowly making its way into his face. On the other hand, Wonwoo’s eyes are so wide he fears they’ll pop out of their sockets.

But neither of them attempt to move. They stay right there, with Joshua pressing his ass to Wonwoo’s crotch, his hair delicately framing his face. Does he really have to look like a model right now?

Joshua is the first one to speak, once the initial shock seems to wear off. He doesn’t even try to deny it—resorts to just tilting his head, narrowing his eyes into a look of suspicion. “How’d you know? I thought you said you couldn’t see without glasses on.”

“And I can’t,” Wonwoo replies, still starstruck. Did Joshua just say he wants to—? “I know because. Well. Because I’m user ‘gam3b0yww’. I… I wrote that quote you used yesterday on set. Yeah.”

They fall silent, once again, without moving an inch. Wonwoo becomes overly aware of all the exact places where Joshua’s bare skin is pressed to his own, and he burns with the ache to hold his waist, to bring him closer despite everything.

But he’s probably fucked everything up now, hasn’t he? There’s no way Joshua would want to involve himself with a loser like Wonwoo after finding out he spends his scarce free time writing stories where he imagines him dating the people he interacts with in his daily life.

God, why did Wonwoo have to step into RPF? Why couldn’t he stick to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite how badly it had turned after ‘Avengers: Endgame’?

“I’m sorry,” Wonwoo starts to say, but Joshua presses the palm of his hand to his mouth before he can continue.

It would be insanely inappropriate if Wonwoo were to pop a boner over it right now, but the sheer stress he’s going through is probably the only reason why he doesn’t. 

“God, that’s so fucking sexy, Wonwoo,” Joshua says, a look of pure awe in his face. What? “There’s nothing I love more than a man obsessed with me. Fuck, and a fic writer at that! This is a dream come true. Seriously, how are you so hot?”

Wonwoo’s mind surely has done a good job at making this dream look and feel realistic enough, but Wonwoo is not as much of a fool as he believes himself to be. That is why he reaches down to pinch his own thigh, hard enough to bruise: because it’s better to take himself out of this delusion before truly losing his mind.

But nothing happens. Instead, Joshua just leans down to press a kiss to Wonwoo’s parted lips, soft and gentle and with the slightest hint of a minty taste.

Had he really gotten out of bed to brush his teeth before kissing Wonwoo? How much more perfect can someone be?

“So, what do you say?” Joshua hums. “To my answer. Want to ask me the proper question?”

Wonwoo’s mind short-circuits for what feels like the millionth time. He’s high on pure emotion, emanating from the kind of love that can only bloom in far-fetched circumstances like the ones he and Joshua find themselves in.

”Boyfriend,” Wonwoo tries, under Joshua’s scrutinizing gaze. “My boyfriend. Do you want to be?”

“Such a way with words, babe,” Joshua laughs—he keeps laughing, and Wonwoo just wants to keep hearing him do so for the rest of his whole entire life. “Will you let me beta-read your fics before you publish them? I keep close tabs on my AO3 tag, and the only thing I hate more than the sentence ‘tongues battling for dominance’ is being written out of character. I’m so not an omega, you know?”

Wonwoo must have hit his head and died during the past few days, because there’s no way this is a real conversation he’s having with Joshua Hong.

But he takes his chance, indulges into his delusion, and brings Joshua down for another deep, heated kiss. “I’ll do anything you want. I’ll even show you my AO3 history,” Wonwoo tells him, licking into his mouth. “God, please be my boyfriend.”

“Cute,” Joshua says again, meeting Wonwoo halfway. “Okay. It’s a deal, then. Joshua Hong is your boyfriend now! How do you feel about it, hm?”

And, yeah, Wonwoo has many bad habits, but he’s also got at least a few nice ones. Writing stories about his favorite celebrity to post online might as well be one of them, even if Soonyoung would argue that it would depend on who you asked about it.

🎬

@hjs_source

The trailer for Joshua’s new BL, “Let’s Run Away (feels like we’re fated)” is out now!

@joshuahung

goddd it looks so good!!!! i can’t wait for it to come out

@yaoismas

ohhh who’s the guy playing the other lead ?? he’s hot af and they look so good together… ao3 authors i'm begging you to lock tf in rn

@kwonhoshi1996

he’s jeon wonwoo, he starred in an indie film called bittersweet last year, please check it out

@peekatom

hey isn’t this the plot of a real famous 1d fanfic

@cookieswithsuga

stfu no one cares

@angelshua

has anyone told @gam3b0yww about this it looks like something he'd enjoy

🎬

angel with a shotgun

gam3b0yww

Summary:

Steve comes back to him in a dream. When Bucky wakes up, he's still there. 

Notes:

hello everyone, long time no see! life has been crazy as of lately. i got hired for a secret job along with my life-long crush, made a bunch of money because of it, and now we’re living together in a real fancy penthouse he owns. plus, steve rogers is coming back to the MCU, and what's a better way to celebrate it than coming back to my stucky roots!!!

never give up on your dreams everyone.

[...]

fortunatechange

I’ve never watched Marvel movies but this makes me want to. I’ll tell my boyfriend about it. Thanks! xx

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gam3b0yww

glad to be of help! i'm sure your boyfriend will appreciate it <3

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🎬

swimming fool

beneathyourbravery

Summary:

“You’ve got no idea how bad I wanted this,” Joshua grunts, frantically tugging at the tie around Wonwoo’s waist. “I’ve been waiting for so long, Wonwoo. You’re so hot.”

Or: my take on the aftermath of the filming of the pool scene in LRA (flwf).

[...]

fortunatechange

This is the kind of Joshua characterization I like to see!! Wonwoo was so cute in this one too, I really love how sweet he was. Thanks for sharing! xx

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gam3b0yww

wonwoo was pretty pathetic here… but i guess that’s just how he is. this was so hot, thank you for your work!!

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