Behind the Scenes 4/5

[dokssuri]

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 Four

There was the sound of a lock being turned, followed by quiet footsteps through the apartment. Maxim froze. He clenched his hands around the sheets and then sat up as slowly as possible, careful not to wake the person on the other side of the bed. The bedroom door opened.

"What are you doing here?" Maxim whispered to the dark figure that appeared in the doorway. He already knew the answer. He'd expected this to happen.

"Just making sure you're keeping your end of the deal," a male voice replied casually. "Is that the detective who's been keeping watch by your door like a dog?"

Maxim pressed a finger against his lips in warning and continued to speak very quietly himself. "He's sleeping. I got him drunk."

"You didn't need to. It doesn't matter if he wakes up. I can just kill him."

"Don't, please," Maxim quickly said, trying to keep his voice steady. "It's not necessary. They're starting to believe me. I promise."

Something reflected the small beam of light that came in through a gap between the curtains. The man was holding a knife. He'd meant for Maxim to see it. "You didn't tell him anything?"

"Nothing. I swear."

There was a short silence before the man said: "I ought to kill him anyway. This one is clever. He's looking into the trial, sticking his nose where he shouldn't."

Maxim was shocked. Savez got that close on his own?

"You didn't know, did you? He's still investigating you."

"He won't find anything," Maxim said. "I'll tell him it's not related to me. Don't kill him. He'll believe me. I know he will."

He couldn't see, but he knew the man was smirking when he said: "I see. Is that why he's in your bed?"

Yunho reread what he'd just written. He could leave it at this, couldn't he? He could just imply something had happened between Maxim and Savez and it was up to the reader to decide what they wanted to believe.

The problem with that was that usually when he left a question open, he wasn't sure about the answer himself. But in this case, he did know. He was quite sure of it. It was very unprofessional of inspector Savez, but he'd had a few slips like this in the past it always ended well somehow.

The point was that Savez had really, seriously fallen for Maxim. The alcohol would just be an excuse. Both his editor and agent were up for a huge surprise, but no, Yunho couldn't just leave it at this.

"You're writing again," Changmin said.

"Yes." Yunho closed his laptop. The remainder of his headache was still there, being slightly annoying in the background, but he felt a lot better than he did when he woke up.

"So being hungover has helped you with whatever was bothering you?" Changmin observed. "Interesting."

"I already told you nothing was bothering me," Yunho said.

Changmin was wearing jeans, and a tight black shirt. Only he could look this good in something that basic. If anything was bothering Yunho right now, it was the visible contours of Changmin's chest.

"What did we talk about last night, when you brought me home?" he asked. He'd briefly thanked Changmin when he came in today - a lot later than usual - but Changmin had been busy then so they couldn't talk.

Changmin handed him a mug and took a sip from his own. "Not much, why?"

"It's just...my memory is a bit fuzzy. Did I tell you...about Vogue Hommes Japan?"

Changmin smirked. "Oh yes. Two copies? Where did you even get them?"

Yunho groaned. "I'm never drinking again." He'd fought a fanboy over those online, and finally outbid him, but Changmin would never ever hear about that.

"And you said.." Yunho furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember. "You said I was a bad friend, that I think you're just the guy who brings me tea."

Changmin waved his free hand. "No, I know that's not true. I only said it because I was frustrated about something else, which...forget it. I was being stupid."

Yunho shook his head. "But you were right about that. I mean, you're wrong, but also right? I do own copies of your pictures, and I notice when you're having a bad day and I also brought you home when you were drunk that time, but I never noticed that you...that you're..." Shit, where was he going with this? This wasn't something he was ready to talk about.

"That I'm what?"

"That you're a great friend and you always take care of me when I go into crazy writing mode," he finished. It sounded lame, it wasn't what he was going to say, but he did mean it. "I don't thank you enough for that."

"Oh," Changmin said. "You're welcome." It was quickly becoming too awkward, and so this was clearly the end of their conversation about Yunho's drunken night.

Despite chickening out on asking for a confirmation, Yunho now had very strong suspicions about how Changmin felt...about him.

But how did he feel?

Savez groaned and turned his head into the pillow.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Maxim climbed out of the bed and pulled on the curtains to get rid of the annoying stripe of sunlight.

"No," Savez slowly turned onto his back. "I should get up." He reached for his head. "What did you put in my drink yesterday?"

"My favourite vodka," Maxim sounded just a little too innocent. "You said you liked it."

Savez cursed. "I warned you not to give me something strong. What if someone had come to attack you tonight? There is no one posted outside anymore. I wouldn't have been able to...anything could have happened to you!"

Maxim froze at the foot of the bed and looked at him. "I'm sorry."

Savez looked around, like he'd only just realised where he was. "Last night...we...oh, no. No. Tell me I didn't."

"Didn't what?" Maxim asked. "I asked you to join me and you did, and I liked it. You liked it...right? Inspector?"

Savez was searching for his clothes now. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake. And it's not your fault. I shouldn't have accepted any drinks to begin with."

"Wait," Maxim said. "Mistake? Do you mean the alcohol, or me?"

"You realise I can't stay, don't you? I'll try to get someone to cover for me, but it won't be easy. I can't promise anything."

Maxim had been about to hand him his shirt, but now he pulled it back, clutching it to his stomach. "You're going to leave?"

"There haven't been any new notes. My chief wanted me to pull out two days ago. I'm only here because I feel the threat might be real, and there's something important you're not telling me."

"Don't leave me," Maxim pleaded.

"I crossed a line I shouldn't have," Savez said. "I...damn it, Maxim, give me that." He grabbed his shirt and pulled it free.

"Is this because you've only been with women before?" Maxim asked.

"It was my job, as a professional," Savez said slowly, still searching for clothes, "to protect and investigate you, not share your bed. Your gender has nothing to do with it."

"I love you," Maxim said.

That finally got Savez to stop looking for his socks and look at him instead.

"I love you," Maxim said again.

"You...we've only known each other for a week."

"We practically lived together," Maxim said. "We talked a lot. I know you."

That somehow ruined the moment. Savez almost laughed. "You know me? Maybe. But do I know you?"

He gave up on his socks and walked out of the room.

"They'll kill me!" Maxim shouted after him. "They will. He told me."

Savez stopped and turned around. Maxim was standing in the doorway, tall, naked and perfect, looking at him. It would have been a breathtaking sight in any situation.

"He? Who is he, Maxim? Do you know who's threatening you?"

Maxim shook his head. There was genuine fear in his eyes.

"Tell me," Savez said, a little more forceful.

"No," Maxim shook his head again. "They'll kill you."

Yunho took a deep breath and let the tension of the scene leave his body. He could still see Maxim's eyes, beautiful and terrified.

It should become harder to see parallels between the story and his life now. He had looked forward to this moment, when the plot really picked up and he could focus on secrets and murder and hopefully be less confused about his characters' feelings.

But it didn't work like that at all. Maxim's feelings for Savez were genuine, he knew. He was hiding something from him, but only because he didn't have a choice. And when Savez turned him down like that...it hurt. Maxim hurt, and Yunho hurt for him. And then...suddenly...he hurt for someone else too.

Yunho turned his head to where Changmin sat at the table, carefully rearranging various nature and design magazine cut-outs to create a certain atmosphere. He was so immersed in this that he'd forgotten about his tea, which had gone cold and still stood next to Yunho's empty mug.

Changmin looked good when he was focused on a task like this. There was a certain tension in his face, not as much as a furrowed brow, but enough to make him look fierce and determined. Changmin narrowed his eyes, stroking his lower lip with his thumb, and then moved another piece of paper. It wasn't often you got to see him like this. One of his model traits was to keep his face straight whenever he thought someone was looking, as if they were a camera.

"Are you busy?" Yunho asked, stupidly breaking the moment.

Changmin looked up and quickly switched back to his usual expression. "Not really. I'm just brainstorming. Why?"

"I...can we talk?"

Changmin raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were done discussing last night. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your collection."

He smiled while he said that, and Yunho almost said "I know you read my books" to wipe that smug look off his face.

"Not about that."

"Oh." Changmin turned his chair towards him. "What is it?"

"Do you know why people always assume I'm gay?"

Changmin shot him a curious look. "I have no idea. ...why? Is it bothering you?"

"No," Yunho said. "I was only wondering if there maybe is some clue everyone else sees but I don't. Did you think I was gay? at first?"

"Well, no," Changmin said. "But when we met, the very first thing you said to me was that you weren't, so I had no time to assume."

Yunho was surprised. "Really? What did I say?"

"Don't you remember?" Changmin almost looked offended. "You walked in here, and I asked if you were a model, and you must have thought I was flirting with you because you said "I'm straight, sorry, but I'd like to have my picture taken"."

Yunho had forgotten about that, but now he remembered. He really had said that. "And you didn't kick me out after that?"

Changmin shrugged. "No. I thought you were funny. The question if you were a model had been sarcasm, not flirting. But you were so...cheerfully oblivious. It was interesting."

"It was sarcasm?" Yunho asked. "Really? Not even a little bit of something else?"

Changmin laughed. "Why? Are you disappointed?"

"Well," Yunho said. "Jiyeon said you think I am hot."

Changmin's expression changed to something even more guarded. He narrowed his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. Jiyeon talks too much. Only half of everything she says is true."

"Oh," Yunho said. "Well, now I am a little bit disappointed."

Changmin stood up. "It would help if you stopped wearing oversized sweaters. What even is that thing? You look like a stuffed alpaca."

"Hey, you don't mind the shorts?" Yunho asked. He swung his legs over the armrest and stroked his thigh.

He definitely caught Changmin looking this time, not just look, stare. Changmin's reply came a few beats too late...because he was staring at Yunho's thighs.

"Also hideous," Changmin said. "I might not be busy, but I do have less pointless things to do than giving you fashion advice. You should find yourself a girlfriend for that."

Yunho watched him walk away and almost called him back. He felt bad. There was no clear reason for it, but he did. They were always teasing each other, pretending to be upset by a comment, but it felt like he seriously got Changmin angry this time.

Savez felt terrible by the time he arrived at the station, and it wasn't the hangover. But as long as this case was still open, he couldn't let his judgement be clouded by emotions.

"Inspector!" the man still nicknamed Coffee exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

"What do you mean?" he couldn't possibly know how Savez felt, could he?

"I heard an attacker is being chased after escaping from mister Kim's house. I thought you were still there."

"What? What happened?!"

Coffee seemed almost frightened by his sudden outburst. "The...the neighbours heard shouting sir, so they contacted us. I don't know anything else, sir."

"Maxim." Savez ran back outside.

Yunho had felt nervous when he walked through the door this morning. It had been a long time since he last felt that way. This studio had become like a second home to him. He usually dressed like that as well, as if he was home, comfortable and without caring about other people's opinions.

Today he was wearing jeans. He'd had to dig them up from the bottom of a drawer, and he remembered them being a little less tight around his thighs, but they still fit. Instead of a sweater or hoodie he wore a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with an art print, which was made from a soft, stretchy material. He didn't remember buying it, but he vaguely remembered Changmin recommending the brand. It hugged his chest and shoulders and wasn't overall that uncomfortable.

The desired effect was more than achieved when Changmin almost dropped his tea when he walked in. Yunho didn't even know why he was doing this, testing Changmin's reactions to him. But he knew it boosted his confidence, and he needed that.

"Do you have an important meeting today?" Changmin asked.

Yunho closed his laptop. "No."

"...A date? No...never mind. I don't want to know."

"No, not a date. I just felt like wearing something else, and now I'm waiting for you to tell me what's wrong with it."

"Oh." Changmin gave him a long look. "Nothi- I mean.. It's not bad. That print is a bit last season, maybe."

That was the most positive Changmin had ever been about his clothes. Yunho felt his confidence surge and dared to say: "I know you read my books."

Changmin put down his tea, slowly. "So I did tell you that after all?"

Yunho nodded. He was relieved that Changmin didn't seem angry at him for bringing this up. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because.." Changmin sighed. "I don't want to be another one of your crazy fans. I see how my sister behaves, and that's just not attractive."

"Not all the people who read my books are crazy fans in my eyes...and even your sister is far from it," Yunho said.

"Still," Changmin said. "I guess, I just didn't want to flatter you. Because if you knew I read them you'd ask me what I think, and I'd have to tell you I think they're great. A couple of them I've read twice, actually."

That caused a funny feeling in Yunho's chest, and he suddenly felt lighter than before.

"Thank you," he said. "That's really important to me, coming from you."

Changmin finally looked at him again and smiled. Then that smile turned into a smirk. "So, will you put me in your new book?"

Yunho just looked at him. This was what he'd wanted to talk about today, but had been afraid to bring up.

"Wait," Changmin said, incredulous. "You will? ...You already have?"

"It's a younger version of you. He's a model."

Changmin frowned. "You didn't know me yet when I was a model."

"I know. But I probably got it all wrong anyway," Yunho said. "No, I definitely got it all wrong. But it's a work of fiction. I never meant to write you a biography. Don't read anything into it."

"I won't," Changmin said. "But you'll let me read it? I mean, before anyone else.."

Yunho tightened his grip on his laptop. "Do you want to?" He suddenly wasn't so sure anymore that Changmin would like this story. He would probably hate it.

Changmin gave him a suspicious look. "You think I shouldn't. Why? Am I a crazy murderer? Do I die a horrible death in the first chapter?"

"No," Yunho said, shaking his head. "You're not a bad character, and you don't die."

"Tell me then," Changmin said. "If you don't want me to read it I'll trust you and won't, but give me at least a short version of my story."

Yunho took a deep breath. That he could do. He could just leave out a few details.

"It's a bit dramatic, but you have to be at least a bit dramatic to be a main character in a mystery novel."

Changmin nodded and Yunho continued. "Your character grew up as an orphan and somehow ended up in the hands of a human trafficking organisation. Part of what it did was provide illegal prostitutes to rich, influential people. This boy managed to escape, got scouted and grew up to become a very successful model. Skip to the future. Now there's a trial against the organisation and they're eliminating witnesses. But because of his success, they threaten this man instead, telling him to keep his mouth shut but also demanding financial aid to pay for their lawyers. When he refuses, they kill a few people close to him to prove that they're serious. That's where inspector Savez comes in."

Changmin hummed. "Yes, that's very different from my story, but it sounds good. I imagine the reader doesn't learn de details of his background until the end?"

Yunho smiled. "Yes, you're a suspect during most of the book."

"Cool," Changmin said. "And you've already said that I don't die, so I suppose your inspector saves the day again. That leaves only one question."

"You're both wildly attractive and gay," Yunho said without hesitation.

Changmin's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Well," Yunho said carefully, "I don't need much imagination for that."

Changmin looked at him. "You're not playing with me right now, are you?"

Yunho shook his head. "No."

Changmin smiled then, the kind of smile that took Yunho's breath away. "Thank you."

Yunho's heart was beating faster than normal, and he felt warm despite the lack of a woollen sweater. He pulled on the fabric of his shirt, wishing it wouldn't cling to him so tightly, and he wished he hadn't worn jeans.

Changmin was still watching him. He just sat there for a while before he spoke again.

"Can I take a few pictures of you?"

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