Chapter Text
Jesper sighed, staring at the page in front of him, wishing that the jokes would write themselves. Usually, coming up with a monologue or questions to ask his guests was easy. But tonight, it was like all comedy had left him.
Jesper was interrupted from his thoughts by Kaz entering his office, cane clacking against the floor. He hadn’t bothered to knock, and Jesper was pretty sure that he’d locked the door when he came in to work, but that was classic Kaz.
Kaz was his… their relationship was complicated. Technically, Kaz was one of the producers of the Jesper Fahey Show, the daily talk show that Jesper hosted. He was also Jesper’s agent, although Jesper hadn’t looked for any other acting roles since landing this show. He had helped out when Jesper got into PR troubles a year back, but he hoped that wouldn’t be a repeat event.
He liked to think that Kaz was his friend, above all else. He wasn’t sure if Kaz would agree, but they’d been something like friends since before either of them had gotten anything close to famous. They’d done all of this together.
It was a funny story, really. They were just two stupid kids, barely out of college, running scams and cons to try and make ends meet. Somehow, Kaz had gotten them invited to some exclusive party, where they were going to pretend that Jesper was an actor and Kaz was his agent so they could try and steal some stuff they could pawn to make that month’s rent. What even Kaz couldn’t have accounted for was a producer buying their cover story and offering Jesper a job on the spot. A job that came with a paycheck with more zeros than Jesper had ever seen before.
One job turned into two and then a recurring role on a tv show, and Jesper blew up online for the mock interviews he did with the cast and crew of the show. Once the show ended, he was offered a full time talk show. It was everything Jesper had dreamed of and more. It was legit work, and it made a hell of a lot more money than stealing watches at fancy parties ever could. He’d been focusing on the talk show lately, and it had been paying off. He’d been getting bigger and bigger guests, and the network was saying that he had cornered the younger demographic, something that no one else had managed to do.
Kaz, meanwhile, started an actual talent agency. He’d only represented a few people (including Jesper), but every one of them was such a success that he’d garnered quite the reputation as an agent. He also had a reputation for being willing to do things outside of the law, not that anyone would ever be able to prove anything. But not even that stopped everyone who thought they might be something from clamoring for his attention, hoping to be his next great star.
Suffice to say, Jesper and Kaz’s was hard to define.
“Boss,” Jesper greeted, looking up from the blank page in front of him.
Kaz nodded in return, not bothering to sit down to talk. “Clear the schedule for this Friday. You have a different guest.”
Jesper frowned. He shuffled through the papers on his desk, trying to find the one containing the schedule of guests on his show. These things were usually booked months in advance, not just a few days.
Finally locating the paper he was looking for, Jesper responded, “We were supposed to have Big Bollinger. Do you really want to cancel on him?”
“Yes.”
Jesper couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation. Kaz loved to play these kinds of games, where he made Jesper ask a million questions instead of just explaining himself. “And who is so important that we’re bending over backwards to accommodate them?” Jesper asked, annoyance bleeding into his tone.
“Wylan Hendricks.”
Jesper gaped at Kaz. There was a smirk spreading across his face, like the self righteous bastard knew exactly the reaction that piece of news would garner from Jesper.
Because the thing was, Wylan Hendricks had never done any kind of interview before. Ever. And it wasn’t for lack of trying on anyone’s part. He was possibly the most famous musician of his generation, known for his beautiful voice, poetic lyrics, and breathtaking instrumentals. As far as anyone could tell based on album credits, every single one of his songs were written and performed solely by him. He had multiple platinum albums, topping the charts every time a new song came out.
But he hadn’t done a single interview before. He didn’t even have social media accounts to promote his songs or to post candid photos. No one had ever come forward with details about him, claiming to be a childhood friend or an ex lover or anything. There weren’t even any paparazzi pictures of him! The only reason anyone even knew what he looked like was because of the three music videos that he’d released, which contained him and a piano in an empty room. It was completely unheard of, and anyone who was anyone in Hollywood would kill for the chance to snag even a single photo, let alone be the first to interview him.
So why his first appearance would be on The Jesper Fahey Show, a daytime talk show with decent ratings but nothing special, was a total mystery.
“I swear to god Kaz, if this is your idea of a sick joke, then I’ll-”
“I’m serious,” Kaz interrupted, “Do you think I would joke about this?” Jesper had to admit that no, Kaz would never joke about something like this, not that he was much of a joker.
“Can I ask why? Why now? And why here?”
“No you cannot.”
Jesper sighed. Typical Kaz. Always full of secrets and refusing to share. But his excitement over interviewing The Wylan Hendriks outweighed his annoyance at Kaz.
Kaz continued, “You only have four days until the interview. I trust that you won’t embarrass yourself.” He turned and exited the office, leaving Jesper alone with a million questions.
He knew that Kaz had at least a little bit of faith in his ability to pull off this interview, or he wouldn’t have set this up. But now that he was alone, the worry was creeping in. What if he couldn’t do it? What if he came off like a total idiot in the interview, which everyone would end up watching? What if he messed this up and made Wylan hate him?
Jesper had been a fan of Wylan Hendriks since he released his first song. He’d been enraptured by his voice. And then when he released the first music video with his face in it? Jesper fell head over heels for the man. It was just a stupid celebrity crush (even if Jesper himself was also a celebrity by that point). But Wylan was always distant and unattainable, even to Jesper, so it felt safe to dream.
And now he wasn’t anymore. And Jesper was going to be meeting him in just a few days, for Wylan’s first ever interview.
He really needed to get to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesper was woken up by his phone ringing right next to his head, noise piercing into his head. He groaned, annoyed at whoever decided to wake him up, but rolled over to pick it up anyway. It wasn’t like he would be able to go back to sleep now.
“Hello?” he answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.
“Jesper Fahey!” Nina screamed through the phone, “Why didn’t you tell me you were interviewing Wylan Hendriks?”
Oh, that.
After the visit with Kaz the previous day, Jesper had begun coming up with questions to ask Wylan. But with every question he wrote down, three more came to mind. He couldn’t even begin to craft a narrative for the conversation. At his wit’s end, he’d texted Kaz that they should announce the interview in the morning, and ask fans to submit questions.
Kaz had called Jesper lazy for outsourcing his work as host, but had said he’d do it anyway (which meant that he thought it was a good idea). Clearly, he must have tweeted something, which Nina must have seen. And now Jesper had to deal with her while barely awake.
Incredibly eloquently, Jesper mumbled, “I only found out last night.”
“And you didn’t tell me immediately?”
“Sorry, Nina dear.” Jesper wasn’t actually that sorry, but Nina didn’t need to know that. She would’ve found out soon enough, and it’s not like Jesper had many details to share yet.
Nina huffed into the phone. “My place, 6pm. Bring food. I need all of the gossip.”
Jesper was barely able to agree before Nina hung up, and Jesper was left alone with his thoughts.
He went about his day, getting dressed and preparing to head into the studio. It was a Tuesday, so he was shooting a live episode later today, as he did on most weekdays.
He also needed to wade through social media and see what people wanted to know about Wylan Hendriks.
Everything. People wanted to know everything there was to know about Wylan. Most of the questions were about him as a person, although a few were about his music. He’d been hidden for so long that even the smallest fact would be a massive revelation.
There were also plenty of questions people had that could not be asked on live tv if he wanted the network to keep airing his show, although Jesper was curious too.
The day passed quickly, and before he knew it, Jesper was on his way to Nina’s apartment after picking up Chinese food from the place they both liked.
Jesper didn’t even bother to knock, letting himself into her apartment with the spare key that she had given him. “I’m here and I brought food,” Jesper called into the apartment.
“In here!” Nina called from the living room.
Jesper dropped the food off in the kitchen before making his way to join her. Unsurprisingly, he found her sitting on the couch, cuddled up next to Matthias. The pair were dating, and even though they didn’t live together, Matthias was often over when he wasn’t off producing the next hit song. The pair had met when Kaz had hired him to produce and mix Nina’s debut album, and, after a contentious start, they’d been madly in love. It was a little gross, but in a sweet way.
Inej was there as well, perched gracefully on an armchair. Jesper was glad he’d grabbed plenty of food.
“You didn’t tell me this was an official Crow Club meeting,” Jesper joked, before plopping down on the couch next to Nina. Technically, the four of them, with Kaz as their agent, made up the entirety of the Crow Club. Although they might be colleagues, they were friends first and foremost.
Nina smiled, “Well when there’s something as big as you interviewing Wylan Hendriks, I think it warrants an official meeting.”
“Am I not enough for you? You wound me.”
“So dramatic,” Matthias muttered, shaking his head slightly at their antics. Both Nina and Jesper erupted into giggles at the sight.
Once their laughter subsided, Jesper could feel the tension of the day bleeding out of him as relaxed with his friends.
“So,” Nina began, “I need all of the details about Wylan Hendriks.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I haven’t even met him yet! Kaz just walked in, told me that I would be interviewing him, and then refused to answer any of my questions.” At Nina’s pointed look, Jesper added, “You know how Kaz is.”
Nina sighed, but nodded in understanding. “So you really don’t know anything about him?” Jesper shook his head.
“I think I’ll be able to talk to him before the show on Friday, but who knows. Kaz won’t tell me anything. Maybe the guy is actually a total asshole, and Kaz is blackmailing him into doing this.”
“Well that would be one way to deal with your crush,” Nina joked.
“Hey!”
“He’s not an asshole,” Inej said, speaking up from where she had almost melted into the chair. Jesper never knew how she did it, but even in a room with just four people, she could blend into the background until everyone forgot she was there. It was a skill that he was pretty sure Kaz used to his advantage, but Jesper would never be able to prove it.
It took a second, but Jesper’s mind caught up to the implications of Inej’s comment. “Have you met him?” he exclaimed.
Inej didn’t say anything, but the small smile on her face was confirmation enough. Nina picked up on it as well, yelling in mock anger, “And you didn’t tell me? I thought we were friends!”
“I haven’t really spoken to him,” Inej defended, “Besides, it wasn’t my place to say anything. He deserves a chance to tell his story on his own terms.”
Damn Inej and her stupid morals preventing her from gossiping about Jesper’s crush. But why had Inej come into contact with Wylan? He assumed it was the same reason that Kaz had gotten Wylan to come onto his show, but what was that reason?
Why did no one ever tell him anything?
And what the fuck was going on with Wylan Hendriks?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today was Friday. Today was the day that Jesper was not only going to meet, but also interview Wylan Hendriks on national television. This was totally fine. He was a professional who didn’t get stage fright anymore. He’d been doing this for years and was good at his job.
Okay, maybe he was panicking a little bit.
He got to the studio an hour earlier than he normally would, just so he had extra time to pour over his interview questions. He had way more questions than he could possibly ask in a single interview, but he didn’t know what Wylan would be willing to talk about.
Kaz had texted him, telling him that Wylan would be there an hour before the taping of the show began, and Jesper could talk to him then. It wasn’t much time, but it would have to do.
But for now, Jesper was alone in his office, pacing. He wasn’t the type of person to get stage fright, but this was different. He’d never interviewed someone so famous, and he’d never had this much attention on him before. Not even when he was shooting his first show, where he became a fan favorite, did even a quarter of the people care about him. But the tweet asking for questions had gotten hundreds of thousands of replies, and both he and Wylan had been trending almost nonstop since then. The lottery for the live audience had been a total bloodbath. Kaz had even decided to charge for tickets, but that didn’t deter anyone.
As he was once again going over his questions, making unnecessary notes to himself, a knock sounded at the door. Kaz poked his head in and declared, “He’s here.” He limped out of the room before Jesper could respond.
Not that Jesper had any questions about the meaning of Kaz’s statement. He hurried after him, both excited and scared to finally see Wylan Hendriks in the flesh.
Kaz led him to the green room, a small room with a few couches, chairs, and some refreshments. It was where they kept the guests when they weren’t onstage or in hair and makeup, and it was the perfect place to speak to someone in private.
Kaz let Jesper enter first. In the middle of the room was a man, admiring a photo on the wall. He was facing away from them, but it was unmistakably Wylan Hendriks. His hair was reddish and wavy, longer than in the photos Jesper had seen of him. It framed his face perfectly, just barely brushing against the top of his sweater in the back. He was shorter than Jesper by a few inches, closer in height to Nina or Inej.
Hearing Jesper enter, Wylan turned around. Once again, Jesper was blown away by how perfect he looked. His blue eyes were bright, standing out against his pale skin and red hair. There were freckles dotting his cheeks and nose, nearing the corners of his perfect red lips (which looked very kissable, in Jesper’s expert opinion). Dressed in an off-white sweater and blue jeans, he looked like a dream. Somehow, he was even more attractive in person.
“Hi,” Wylan greeted, breaking the silence, “You must be Jesper.” He held out a hand to shake, and Jesper took it. His hand was soft and warm, but he could feel calluses on his fingertips. Jesper chose not to think about the way that his hand fit perfectly in his own.
He released Wylan’s hand reluctantly. “Jesper Fahey, at your service,” he replied, trying not to sound too ridiculous. He could still feel the ghost of Wylan’s touch on his palm, causing his brain to short circuit.
The moment was shattered by Kaz slamming the door shut with his cane. He limped over to one of the armchairs, sitting down in it, waiting for Wylan and Jesper to do the same. They ended up on opposite couches, Kaz between them, like they were all around a table for a business meeting. Jesper supposed it was a type of business meeting.
Jesper spoke first. “First of all, I’m honored that you chose to come on this show. I’m a big fan of your music.” Which was a bit of an understatement, but Wylan didn’t need to know that. Kaz let out an almost inaudible snort at the comment, like he knew what a lie it was too. However, Wylan’s face turned an amazing shade of red. Had he ever received a compliment before? Or was this blush just reserved for Jesper?
No, that was a horrible place to go. If Jesper started to think about Wylan blushing, he’d never be able to make it through an interview with him.
Wylan shrugged. “It was Kaz’s idea.” He paused for a moment before adding, “He’s my new agent.”
Jesper turned to stare at Kaz in total shock. What?
“Wylan needed some help getting out of his old contract, which I was able to provide. Once that was done, he was in the market for a new agent. How could I pass up the opportunity?” Kaz explained, in the most matter of fact way, like this piece of information wasn’t groundbreaking news.
Jesper crossed his arms and leaned back, trying to process everything. At least this explained why Wylan chose to do his first ever interview on his show: it was really Kaz who made the choice. Of course.
Honestly, Jesper couldn’t even be mad. It was an amazing opportunity for everyone involved, especially him.
“Well that explains a lot,” Jesper said, “Before we go on air, I just wanted to check if there was anything that you wanted to make sure you got to talk about, or if there were any topics I should avoid. Usually I’d have a better idea of what types of questions to ask, but I didn’t have any past interviews to look through.”
Wylan began fidgeting with his sleeves. It was adorable in a way that he had no right to be. “I would like to announce that I’m planning on re-recording my previous albums. I just left a really bad contract, and one of the conditions was that my previous agent got to keep the original masters. I don’t really want to go into specifics about that situation, but I can mention it. Just don’t pry, please.”
Jesper nodded, jotting down notes about that. He was trying not to get hung up on the fact that Wylan was going to be re-recording his music, and that Jesper would get to hear a brand new version of all of his songs. He could freak out about it later. Right now, he had a job to do.
They chatted for a few more minutes about how the show would go, and then they were both whisked away to hair and makeup.
With only five minutes before the start of the show, Jesper found himself waiting in the wings, going over his notes once again. He practically had them memorized at this point, but it never hurt to be prepared. He really didn’t want to mess this one up.
“Stop worrying. Just be yourself and it’ll be fine,” Kaz said from right behind him. Jesper jumped, not having heard him approach. The bastard could be surprisingly silent for someone with a cane and a limp. He must be taking notes from Inej.
Jesper was about to respond, but an assistant signaled that they were about to count down to the start of the show. When he turned back to look at Kaz and thank him for what counted as high praise in Kaz speak, he was already gone.
“And here’s your host, Jesper Fahey!” said the announcer's voice, which was Jesper’s cue to walk onstage. He took a deep breath, plastered a smile on his face, and walked out to the sound of the crowd applauding.
Once he was sitting in the lounge chair onstage, he could feel the tension from earlier bleeding away. He’d done this a hundred times before. He was in his element.
“Thank you, thank you. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such an enthusiastic crowd before,” Jesper joked, once the applause had died down, “Now, I’m sure you’re all here for my winning personality and blinding smile.” There were a few polite laughs, but even Jesper could tell that the crowd didn’t care about him. “No? Well, you might’ve heard of our guest joining me today. He’s taken the world by storm with his captivating music, stealing hearts left and right, but remaining a mystery. Well, that’s all about to change. Without further ado, please welcome Wylan Hendriks!”
The crowd absolutely roared as Wylan appeared onstage. He looked the same as he had just half an hour ago: absolutely stunning. Wylan waved awkwardly at the crowd, which only made them get louder. For someone who looked so unsure, Wylan was drawing a reaction.
He sat down on the couch reserved for guests, smiling at Jesper. Jesper had to gesture for the crowd to settle down three times before the noise had subsided enough that he could be heard.
“Welcome to the show, Wylan!”
It was barely noticeable under the studio lights and pounds of stage makeup, but Jesper could swear he saw a hint of the blush from earlier creeping up Wylan’s cheeks.
“Thank you so much for having me.”
“Are you kidding? It was my absolute pleasure.” It really was. This interview would be doing wonders for his popularity, not to mention the fact that he’s sitting face to face with his celebrity crush.
Jesper continued, “How are you doing today?”
Wylan shrugged slightly. “I’m not going to lie, it’s all been a bit overwhelming. But everyone has been so lovely, and I’m excited to get to meet some of my fans.”
“I can imagine!” Jesper said, before transitioning into his first question, “This is your first ever interview, right?” Wylan nodded. “So, why now?”
Wylan took a deep breath. Looking directly at Jesper, ignoring the cameras, he explained, “I used to be under different management. I wasn’t allowed to do any press, for fear that I would ruin my own image.” Jesper gasped dramatically, partially for the audience and partially because he couldn’t imagine someone saying that to Wylan of all people. “After some negotiation, I’ve parted ways with them.”
The audience cheered at that. Jesper could barely contain his excitement, knowing what Wylan was about to announce.
He asked, “Now that you’re free, do you have any big plans?”
“First, I’ve signed onto the Crow Club, as my new agency.”
“Me too!” Jesper crowed.
“In order to break the contract quickly, I also allowed my previous manager to keep all of the rights and profits from the masters of my already recorded songs and albums, while I retain the rights to the music and lyrics.” Wylan paused for a breath and Jesper could see the audience on the edge of their seats, hanging on to every word Wylan said. “I am excited to announce that I will be re-recording all of my albums, with updated instrumentals and vocals, which will be owned completely by me.”
The audience erupted in excitement, jumping to their feet and screaming so loud that Jesper worried about the microphones in the studio.
He glanced over to the side of the stage, out of view of the cameras, where he had spotted Kaz lurking earlier. Kaz gave him a slight nod, a smile visible on his face. Clearly, this was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for. Jesper smiled back.
The enthusiasm of the crowd was infectious, but he did have an interview to conduct, so he needed them to settle down.
“Well that was quite a reaction,” Jesper joked, once he could hear himself talk again, “How are you feeling about all of this?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified, but I’m excited too.”
“And can we expect some new music from you in the future?” Jesper asked, trying to prod Wylan into a longer answer. It was clear he hadn’t been interviewed before and even Kaz couldn’t make someone give a perfect first interview. Nobody would judge him for it, but Jesper wanted to make sure that this went as well as possible, both for his sake and Wylan’s.
Wylan smiled coyly. “My first priority is to re-record my existing catalog. After that, I’m hoping to continue releasing music. I don’t do this for the fame or the attention, I just really like writing and playing music.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, can you share with us how you first got started?”
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, even Jesper. He was dying to know the answer, and to unravel one small piece of the mystery of Wylan Hendriks.
“My mother taught me how to play the piano when I was young. She passed away when I was 8.” He paused and swallowed, like it was hard for him to tell this story. “It took me a long time to start playing again, but when I did, it felt like she was still with me. I learned to play the flute and guitar as well, but the piano has always been my preferred instrument because of her. I even named myself after her. Hendriks was her maiden name,” Wylan explained.
“I am so sorry for your loss,” Jesper murmured, knowing what it was like to lose a mother far too early. He was also curious about the lack of a mention of a father, but he wasn’t going to push it. He let the silence settle for a moment before asking, “When did you decide to start releasing your music?”
“I’ve been composing for nearly as long as I’ve been playing, but I only started adding lyrics when I was 16. After I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. College wasn’t an option, and I didn’t have any other passions. I struck a deal with- I signed on with my old manager, and released my first single just a month later when I turned 18. Everything just snowballed from there.”
“Tell me about it,” Jesper commiserated, having gone through a similar thing. Putting the timeline together, that would make Wylan 23 years old, just a year younger than him. He’d known that they’d grown in popularity in a similar timeframe, but he hadn’t known that they were so close in age. At least he wasn’t crushing on a literal teenager.
Jesper saw one of his producers signaling to him to head to commercials. “We have to head to commercial break now, but afterwards, Wylan is going to be answering some of the questions that you submitted, so stay tuned!” Not that anyone needed any incentive to keep watching, he was sure.
Once the cameras had cut off, Wylan visibly slumped in his seat. The audience was still watching them, but Jesper was more focused on Wylan at the moment. “You’re doing great,” he reassured.
“Really?”
“I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re doing amazing. Most people wouldn’t even realize it was your first time!” That sounded way more sexual than Jesper intended. “We could probably sit here in silence for the rest of the interview and we’d still get record viewership numbers.”
That seemed to reassure Wylan a little bit, and some of the tension bled out of him. Jesper just wanted to reach over and hug him and protect him from the world, but that didn’t seem very professional. For now, he settled on what was hopefully a kind smile.
Before too long, they were back from the commercial break and Jesper pulled out his giant stack of questions. The size of it got a scared look from Wylan and a laugh from the audience, which was his intent. Half of it was actually blank printer paper, but no one needed to know that besides him. It was a trick he’d learned from Kaz, although Jesper’s use was much more innocent.
He started asking Wylan rapid fire questions.
“What’s your favorite song you’ve ever written?”
“Flowers in the driveway”
“Favorite color?”
“Blue, like the sky on a summer day.”
“Favorite food?”
“I don’t know if I have one…”
They continued in a similar fashion, with Wylan giving short answers to questions that fans had submitted. It was just an opportunity to show off his personality, but the audience seemed to be enjoying it, which was all that mattered.
With only a few minutes left in the show, Jesper began wrapping things up. “We only have time for one more question, but it’s probably the most requested one. What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?”
Wylan sat for a moment, thinking. Finally, he said, “Don’t be afraid to try something and fail. There will be times that you think that all hope is lost or there’s no way out. But if you don’t even try, you’ll never know if you could have succeeded. The risk is often worth the reward, both in songwriting and in life.”
Jesper had a feeling that there was more to that piece of advice than he could possibly know.
“Thank you so much for that lovely piece of advice. Can I get another round of applause for Wylan Hendriks?”
The crowd roared to their feet again, drowning Wylan in applause. Wylan and Jesper both stood up, and Wylan adorably waved to the crowd. They were ushered offstage to a waiting Kaz, who looked very pleased with himself.
“Well done, both of you,” Kaz said, “but now the real fun starts.” What that meant, Jesper had absolutely no idea.