Behind the Scenes 3/5
Title: Behind the Scenes
Pairing: Yunho/Changmin
Summary: Yunho, a successful novelist, has taken to writing his books in a spare room in his best friend's photo studio. Once he learns that Changmin would like to star in one of those books, that idea quickly begins to lead a life of its own.
Chapter Three
The following days, Yunho was aware of Changmin watching him closely. He didn't get much writing done. He was still confused by the rebellion of his characters and it was hard to stay focused. Changmin noticed that something was wrong, though thankfully not what exactly.
Yunho had spent a sleepless night thinking about what the relationship between Maxim and Savez meant for himself and Changmin. His final conclusion was that it didn't matter what happened in his fictional universe and what it meant, but that he should go with his actual feelings in the real world. It was hard to separate the two, but he did know he regretted declining Changmin's dinner invitation.
"Maybe you should take a break," Changmin said one afternoon when they were drinking tea together.
"I thought that was what this is," Yunho replied.
"I mean a real break. Don't come here but go wander around city for a day, like you do when you need inspiration. You haven't been out much lately."
"I wish I could, but I have a date with Emma tomorrow."
"Ah, poor you," Changmin said sympathetically.
"She's not that bad," Yunho said, "her advice makes my books so much better. But once we've discussed the important issues we always end up fighting over obscure spelling rules or something."
He suddenly had a great idea. "We're planning to go out for dinner after work. We might go to that Italian place. Do you want to come?"
Yunho thought he would be happy, but Changmin didn't seem overly excited. "Won't you continue your boring book discussions? I'll probably only get in your way."
"Not at all," Yunho said. "You can take someone along if you want. Maybe Jiyeon? Didn't you say she wants to work in the publishing world? I could introduce her to Emma."
"Okay," Changmin said. "I think she'll like that. I'll ask if she's free."
They met up at the restaurant. Jiyeon looked cute in her flower dress, but the person who really caught Yunho's attention was Changmin. He knew how to dress up, make it look casual, but accentuate every strong point of his body - which was pretty much all of it.
Yunho could see that even Emma was interested, and she just got married last year. "I see you've invited a very handsome friend," she said to him, and then she stepped forward and introduced herself as his editor before Yunho had the chance.
"It's so nice to meet you," Jiyeon said. "I'm Jiyeon and this is my brother Changmin."
"Yunho told me that you're interested in the industry," Emma said. "Don't hesitate to ask me any questions."
The questions started even before they'd settled at a table, and Yunho was starting to wonder if asking Jiyeon along had been good idea. Emma didn't mind, she loved the attention, and it did shift hers away from him, but maybe it would have been nicer to have dinner alone with Changmin.
Still, the food was great, and everyone got along perfectly. When he got back from a bathroom break, Yunho even caught some amused glances between the others and got the feeling he was being left out of some shared secret.
He also felt like he was drinking more wine than anyone else. Changmin kept offering him refills. But it was good wine, it went great with his pasta and he couldn't refuse Changmin anyway.
By the time they ordered desserts, his head felt a little light.
Jiyeon had asked Emma just about everything there was to ask, and now she turned to him. "
I know you probably won't answer this, but I won't forgive myself if I don't ask anyway. I'm so curious. Can you tell me anything about the new Crime Over Love? Just...just the title maybe."
"I decide on a title at the end," Yunho avoided the question.
"Don't you have a working title? Anything?"
He took a sip of his wine before he answered that. "I do actually."
"So?"
Yunho looked at Emma, who shrugged. "Your titles are usually vague enough not to give anything away. And you change your mind all the time. Go ahead."
Emma was right, he probably would change it later, but Yunho still felt nervous about revealing this one. "I'm thinking of calling it Love Over Crime."
Jiyeon's eyes widened. "That's like the title of the series! So something important happens. He finally get's a lasting relationship! I knew it, I knew he wouldn't stay single forever. You're the best! I love you!" She was practically bouncing in her seat. Apparently the lack of gay characters was already forgiven. It was almost as if she knew, Yunho thought.
Changmin gave his sister a look that clearly showed how embarrassed he was to be sitting next to her. Meanwhile, Emma shot Yunho a glare that said: 'If that's true, that's about the biggest spoiler you could have possibly given.'
,I'm sorry,' Yunho mouthed. He'd never been amazing at keeping secrets, although Emma didn't know yet how far he'd strayed from his original plot idea. He felt an angry Emma rant coming up, but luckily Changmin caught on and saved him.
"I've always thought it was a stupid series title," he said. "The main character is not a criminal, is he? Instead of Crime Over Love it should be Fighting Crime or Justice or something like that."
Jiyeon, unsurprisingly, disagreed. "He's just more interested in crime than love," she said, rolling her eyes. "You'd only need to add the fighting part for idiots and nitpickers like you. I like it as it is. Emma, what was your part in coming up with that title?"
As Emma talked to Jiyeon about Yunho's stubbornness and all the amazing alternatives she'd suggested, Yunho shot Changmin a grateful look. Changmin smiled and nodded.
Yunho had to look away, because that was Maxim's smile, no, Changmin's. Either way it was that smile.
When they finished their meal and he got up, Yunho knew that the dessert wine had definitely been too much, and he shouldn't have listened to Emma when she recommended it. He was swaying on his feet.
"Are you all right?" Changmin asked.
"Yes," Yunho said, "...I think. How much did I drink?"
"I told you," Emma said, sounding very pleased with her self. "He's no heavyweight."
Yunho frowned at her. "You got me drunk on purpose."
Changmin smiled and Jiyeon giggled. "You got us. Sorry," Emma said.
"Why?"
"Changmin says you haven't been sleeping much lately. We thought we should help you with that."
Yunho glared at Changmin. Emma had done things like this before. Next to his editor, she'd been a close friend for years. They'd both seen each other's best and worse moments and she could get away with a lot. But he expected better from Changmin.
"Emma told me you're adorable when drunk," Changmin said. "And I just had to see for myself. Plus it's payback for laughing at me last month."
"What happened last month?" Jiyeon asked, instantly curious.
"Nothing," Changmin said, speaking at the same time as Yunho, who said: "He got soooo drunk. I had to pick him up. Was cute."
Jiyeon looked as amused as Changmin looked annoyed. "I'd just had a bad day, and there was this new cocktail they wanted me to try."
Now Jiyeon was laughing. "You don't need to defend yourself to me about getting smashed. What am I going to do? Ground you?"
Changmin grumbled something. Yunho reached up to touch his face, which felt slightly flushed. "Cuuute," he said.
"Okay," Changmin said, "that's it. Let's get you home."
"He'll be weird for a while and then he just passes out," Emma warned, making Jiyeon laugh again.
Yunho huffed. They were all ganging up on him.
But then there was Changmin's arm around him, which wasn't so bad.
"I can walk on my own," Yunho said.
"Yes, but we'll get there sooner if we walk in a straight line," Changmin replied.
They said goodbye to the women by a taxi in front of the restaurant and Changmin walked him home.
Alcohol usually made things feel vague and distant, but right now Yunho was very aware of Changmin's body alongside his, the arm around his waist, the heat of him.
"I think this is the first time I've seen you drunk," Changmin said.
"Don't like it," Yunho said, although he felt warm and fuzzy and it definitely wasn't unpleasant. "Need to be perceptive, notice things to use in books." As he said that, he looked at the side of Changmin's face and let his eyes follow the wave of his fringe to his ear, follow the perfect curve of it to his jaw and then Changmin looked at him and he had to look away.
They were in a familiar elevator. He hadn't noticed they'd even entered the building.
"You've been acting strange lately," Changmin said. "You would tell me, if something was bothering you?"
"Of course, best friends," Yunho said, slapping Changmin's shoulder.
"Yes, of course," Changmin said. "This is it. Open the door." Yunho saw they were standing in front of his apartment. He didn't want to go inside, because then Changmin would leave.
"Woah," Changmin said and steadied him when he almost fell over. Yunho didn't even do that on purpose, but it was perfect, because now Changmin was hugging him from behind as he unlocked the door.
And Changmin didn't leave. He followed him inside and to his bedroom. "Emma wasn't kidding about the passing out part," he said. "Let's make sure you fall asleep in your bed and not on the floor."
Changmin pushed him down on his bed and pulled the duvet from under his body to cover him with it. Yunho almost invited him to stay the night, but then decided that would be weird, maybe.
"I'll get you some water," Changmin said.
Yunho struggled with the buttons of his shirt. When Changmin came back, he sat up and looked at him. Emma was right, but he wasn't at the passing out stage yet. He was at the stage where his head felt exceptionally clear, right before the passing out stage.
"Why do you want me to write you into my books?"
"I don't. Did I say that?" Changmin placed a glass of water on the nightstand and helped him with his shirt.
"If I made you someone, you know, relevant and gay and attractive. If I could do that. Would you like that?"
"Yes," Changmin said, looking at him. "I think I would."
"Why?" Most of the people he knew thought it was weird to recognise very specific parts of themselves in Yunho's characters. They said it was strange that Yunho wrote a version of them that was familiar but also always slightly off, fictional. But there had to be differences. None of his friends were actual murderers, for example.
Changmin gave him a suspicious look. "I thought you were too drunk to stay conscious. Was that an act?"
"No. I just want to know," Yunho said, like that explained anything.
"Fine. I'd like it because you'd have to pay attention to me to do it well," Changmin said without further hesitation. "You didn't know who I was when you first walked into my studio, which was fine, but not much has changed since then. How much do you really know about me?"
"Hey," Yunho said, slightly offended. "You're wrong. You're my friend. I know what you like to eat and your favourite brand of sunglasses and I own two copies of Vogue Hommes Japan with you on the cover, and that's a collector's item."
That made Changmin smile. Yunho was pleased to see it even though he had the vague feeling he'd just revealed something he wouldn't have if he'd been sober.
"Okay," Changmin said, "I exaggerated. You're a good friend, and I know I can't...I can't ask more of you anyway. I mean...never mind. But sometimes it feels like you spend more time in your fictional world than in this one, so your attention is never really on me. And I worry that I'm just the guy who brings you tea...in both worlds."
Oh.
Yunho had a sudden revelation.
Before Changmin became Maxim, maybe he'd already featured in his books, but only in the background, as a minor character. He was the kind of guy whom Savez would nickname Coffee. That was terrible. Had Changmin noticed that?
Changmin was right, Changmin was so right. If Yunho had paid him just a little bit more attention before, he'd noticed that he had a certain look in his eyes when he asked him out for dinner - asked him out, like a date - and that Changmin rarely smiled at others but did smile at him, and that he was always staring at his legs, especially that.
It was all so clear in his head, but the alcohol had done something to the connection with his mouth. "You...look amazing," he said.
Changmin smiled. "Thank you."
"I mean it," Yunho said, because he was afraid Changmin would think it was the alcohol talking.
"I believe you," Changmin said. "I always look amazing."
That wasn't quite what Yunho meant, but he didn't know how to make that clear.
"You should sleep," Changmin said. He sounded slightly apologetic. "I hope you won't feel that wine tomorrow. I didn't know you'd be this affected by just a few glasses." Changmin was worried about him again. It warmed parts of Yunho's chest that alcohol couldn't reach.
"You like me," he said. That was more like what he'd been trying to say.
"Of course. I've always liked you. That's why we're friends," Changmin said.
Yunho hugged his blanket, closed his eyes and hummed. "Like you too."
He didn't hear Changmin's response to that.
NEXT
previous
Pairing: Yunho/Changmin
Summary: Yunho, a successful novelist, has taken to writing his books in a spare room in his best friend's photo studio. Once he learns that Changmin would like to star in one of those books, that idea quickly begins to lead a life of its own.
Chapter Three
The following days, Yunho was aware of Changmin watching him closely. He didn't get much writing done. He was still confused by the rebellion of his characters and it was hard to stay focused. Changmin noticed that something was wrong, though thankfully not what exactly.
Yunho had spent a sleepless night thinking about what the relationship between Maxim and Savez meant for himself and Changmin. His final conclusion was that it didn't matter what happened in his fictional universe and what it meant, but that he should go with his actual feelings in the real world. It was hard to separate the two, but he did know he regretted declining Changmin's dinner invitation.
"Maybe you should take a break," Changmin said one afternoon when they were drinking tea together.
"I thought that was what this is," Yunho replied.
"I mean a real break. Don't come here but go wander around city for a day, like you do when you need inspiration. You haven't been out much lately."
"I wish I could, but I have a date with Emma tomorrow."
"Ah, poor you," Changmin said sympathetically.
"She's not that bad," Yunho said, "her advice makes my books so much better. But once we've discussed the important issues we always end up fighting over obscure spelling rules or something."
He suddenly had a great idea. "We're planning to go out for dinner after work. We might go to that Italian place. Do you want to come?"
Yunho thought he would be happy, but Changmin didn't seem overly excited. "Won't you continue your boring book discussions? I'll probably only get in your way."
"Not at all," Yunho said. "You can take someone along if you want. Maybe Jiyeon? Didn't you say she wants to work in the publishing world? I could introduce her to Emma."
"Okay," Changmin said. "I think she'll like that. I'll ask if she's free."
They met up at the restaurant. Jiyeon looked cute in her flower dress, but the person who really caught Yunho's attention was Changmin. He knew how to dress up, make it look casual, but accentuate every strong point of his body - which was pretty much all of it.
Yunho could see that even Emma was interested, and she just got married last year. "I see you've invited a very handsome friend," she said to him, and then she stepped forward and introduced herself as his editor before Yunho had the chance.
"It's so nice to meet you," Jiyeon said. "I'm Jiyeon and this is my brother Changmin."
"Yunho told me that you're interested in the industry," Emma said. "Don't hesitate to ask me any questions."
The questions started even before they'd settled at a table, and Yunho was starting to wonder if asking Jiyeon along had been good idea. Emma didn't mind, she loved the attention, and it did shift hers away from him, but maybe it would have been nicer to have dinner alone with Changmin.
Still, the food was great, and everyone got along perfectly. When he got back from a bathroom break, Yunho even caught some amused glances between the others and got the feeling he was being left out of some shared secret.
He also felt like he was drinking more wine than anyone else. Changmin kept offering him refills. But it was good wine, it went great with his pasta and he couldn't refuse Changmin anyway.
By the time they ordered desserts, his head felt a little light.
Jiyeon had asked Emma just about everything there was to ask, and now she turned to him. "
I know you probably won't answer this, but I won't forgive myself if I don't ask anyway. I'm so curious. Can you tell me anything about the new Crime Over Love? Just...just the title maybe."
"I decide on a title at the end," Yunho avoided the question.
"Don't you have a working title? Anything?"
He took a sip of his wine before he answered that. "I do actually."
"So?"
Yunho looked at Emma, who shrugged. "Your titles are usually vague enough not to give anything away. And you change your mind all the time. Go ahead."
Emma was right, he probably would change it later, but Yunho still felt nervous about revealing this one. "I'm thinking of calling it Love Over Crime."
Jiyeon's eyes widened. "That's like the title of the series! So something important happens. He finally get's a lasting relationship! I knew it, I knew he wouldn't stay single forever. You're the best! I love you!" She was practically bouncing in her seat. Apparently the lack of gay characters was already forgiven. It was almost as if she knew, Yunho thought.
Changmin gave his sister a look that clearly showed how embarrassed he was to be sitting next to her. Meanwhile, Emma shot Yunho a glare that said: 'If that's true, that's about the biggest spoiler you could have possibly given.'
,I'm sorry,' Yunho mouthed. He'd never been amazing at keeping secrets, although Emma didn't know yet how far he'd strayed from his original plot idea. He felt an angry Emma rant coming up, but luckily Changmin caught on and saved him.
"I've always thought it was a stupid series title," he said. "The main character is not a criminal, is he? Instead of Crime Over Love it should be Fighting Crime or Justice or something like that."
Jiyeon, unsurprisingly, disagreed. "He's just more interested in crime than love," she said, rolling her eyes. "You'd only need to add the fighting part for idiots and nitpickers like you. I like it as it is. Emma, what was your part in coming up with that title?"
As Emma talked to Jiyeon about Yunho's stubbornness and all the amazing alternatives she'd suggested, Yunho shot Changmin a grateful look. Changmin smiled and nodded.
Yunho had to look away, because that was Maxim's smile, no, Changmin's. Either way it was that smile.
When they finished their meal and he got up, Yunho knew that the dessert wine had definitely been too much, and he shouldn't have listened to Emma when she recommended it. He was swaying on his feet.
"Are you all right?" Changmin asked.
"Yes," Yunho said, "...I think. How much did I drink?"
"I told you," Emma said, sounding very pleased with her self. "He's no heavyweight."
Yunho frowned at her. "You got me drunk on purpose."
Changmin smiled and Jiyeon giggled. "You got us. Sorry," Emma said.
"Why?"
"Changmin says you haven't been sleeping much lately. We thought we should help you with that."
Yunho glared at Changmin. Emma had done things like this before. Next to his editor, she'd been a close friend for years. They'd both seen each other's best and worse moments and she could get away with a lot. But he expected better from Changmin.
"Emma told me you're adorable when drunk," Changmin said. "And I just had to see for myself. Plus it's payback for laughing at me last month."
"What happened last month?" Jiyeon asked, instantly curious.
"Nothing," Changmin said, speaking at the same time as Yunho, who said: "He got soooo drunk. I had to pick him up. Was cute."
Jiyeon looked as amused as Changmin looked annoyed. "I'd just had a bad day, and there was this new cocktail they wanted me to try."
Now Jiyeon was laughing. "You don't need to defend yourself to me about getting smashed. What am I going to do? Ground you?"
Changmin grumbled something. Yunho reached up to touch his face, which felt slightly flushed. "Cuuute," he said.
"Okay," Changmin said, "that's it. Let's get you home."
"He'll be weird for a while and then he just passes out," Emma warned, making Jiyeon laugh again.
Yunho huffed. They were all ganging up on him.
But then there was Changmin's arm around him, which wasn't so bad.
"I can walk on my own," Yunho said.
"Yes, but we'll get there sooner if we walk in a straight line," Changmin replied.
They said goodbye to the women by a taxi in front of the restaurant and Changmin walked him home.
Alcohol usually made things feel vague and distant, but right now Yunho was very aware of Changmin's body alongside his, the arm around his waist, the heat of him.
"I think this is the first time I've seen you drunk," Changmin said.
"Don't like it," Yunho said, although he felt warm and fuzzy and it definitely wasn't unpleasant. "Need to be perceptive, notice things to use in books." As he said that, he looked at the side of Changmin's face and let his eyes follow the wave of his fringe to his ear, follow the perfect curve of it to his jaw and then Changmin looked at him and he had to look away.
They were in a familiar elevator. He hadn't noticed they'd even entered the building.
"You've been acting strange lately," Changmin said. "You would tell me, if something was bothering you?"
"Of course, best friends," Yunho said, slapping Changmin's shoulder.
"Yes, of course," Changmin said. "This is it. Open the door." Yunho saw they were standing in front of his apartment. He didn't want to go inside, because then Changmin would leave.
"Woah," Changmin said and steadied him when he almost fell over. Yunho didn't even do that on purpose, but it was perfect, because now Changmin was hugging him from behind as he unlocked the door.
And Changmin didn't leave. He followed him inside and to his bedroom. "Emma wasn't kidding about the passing out part," he said. "Let's make sure you fall asleep in your bed and not on the floor."
Changmin pushed him down on his bed and pulled the duvet from under his body to cover him with it. Yunho almost invited him to stay the night, but then decided that would be weird, maybe.
"I'll get you some water," Changmin said.
Yunho struggled with the buttons of his shirt. When Changmin came back, he sat up and looked at him. Emma was right, but he wasn't at the passing out stage yet. He was at the stage where his head felt exceptionally clear, right before the passing out stage.
"Why do you want me to write you into my books?"
"I don't. Did I say that?" Changmin placed a glass of water on the nightstand and helped him with his shirt.
"If I made you someone, you know, relevant and gay and attractive. If I could do that. Would you like that?"
"Yes," Changmin said, looking at him. "I think I would."
"Why?" Most of the people he knew thought it was weird to recognise very specific parts of themselves in Yunho's characters. They said it was strange that Yunho wrote a version of them that was familiar but also always slightly off, fictional. But there had to be differences. None of his friends were actual murderers, for example.
Changmin gave him a suspicious look. "I thought you were too drunk to stay conscious. Was that an act?"
"No. I just want to know," Yunho said, like that explained anything.
"Fine. I'd like it because you'd have to pay attention to me to do it well," Changmin said without further hesitation. "You didn't know who I was when you first walked into my studio, which was fine, but not much has changed since then. How much do you really know about me?"
"Hey," Yunho said, slightly offended. "You're wrong. You're my friend. I know what you like to eat and your favourite brand of sunglasses and I own two copies of Vogue Hommes Japan with you on the cover, and that's a collector's item."
That made Changmin smile. Yunho was pleased to see it even though he had the vague feeling he'd just revealed something he wouldn't have if he'd been sober.
"Okay," Changmin said, "I exaggerated. You're a good friend, and I know I can't...I can't ask more of you anyway. I mean...never mind. But sometimes it feels like you spend more time in your fictional world than in this one, so your attention is never really on me. And I worry that I'm just the guy who brings you tea...in both worlds."
Oh.
Yunho had a sudden revelation.
Before Changmin became Maxim, maybe he'd already featured in his books, but only in the background, as a minor character. He was the kind of guy whom Savez would nickname Coffee. That was terrible. Had Changmin noticed that?
Changmin was right, Changmin was so right. If Yunho had paid him just a little bit more attention before, he'd noticed that he had a certain look in his eyes when he asked him out for dinner - asked him out, like a date - and that Changmin rarely smiled at others but did smile at him, and that he was always staring at his legs, especially that.
It was all so clear in his head, but the alcohol had done something to the connection with his mouth. "You...look amazing," he said.
Changmin smiled. "Thank you."
"I mean it," Yunho said, because he was afraid Changmin would think it was the alcohol talking.
"I believe you," Changmin said. "I always look amazing."
That wasn't quite what Yunho meant, but he didn't know how to make that clear.
"You should sleep," Changmin said. He sounded slightly apologetic. "I hope you won't feel that wine tomorrow. I didn't know you'd be this affected by just a few glasses." Changmin was worried about him again. It warmed parts of Yunho's chest that alcohol couldn't reach.
"You like me," he said. That was more like what he'd been trying to say.
"Of course. I've always liked you. That's why we're friends," Changmin said.
Yunho hugged his blanket, closed his eyes and hummed. "Like you too."
He didn't hear Changmin's response to that.
NEXT
previous