Work Text:
Rey had the inkling that Print had been behaving differently since their little trip to Chanthaburi. Initially, Rey told herself it was probably just her imagination. But as the days passed, there was something about Print... The way she’d hide her phone or shut the computer lid when Rey entered the room, eyes darting away when they talked, a certain restlessness...
One morning, Rey helped Print practice for a scene where the main character confessed their love. Print did well portraying the nerves and bashfulness! Too well, in fact. Which could only mean... Rey figured it out: Print had a crush on someone.
Print didn’t want to admit it or name the person, but they spent most of their days together shooting for The Doll Mansion and sharing their apartments. It wouldn’t be too hard for Rey to figure it out.
Rey watched her as they were on set that day. Besides some crew members, the people Print interacted with the most was Rey and their co-star Auer. It had to be him. And given her years-long friendship with him, blooming in the industry at the same time, Auer spoke easily to Print in Rey’s body.
But Rey’s amusement quickly turned to something else when she heard Auer inviting Print for dinner. Back against a doorframe, ears perked, Rey felt a tightening in her chest. Print stuttered out a half-response that she’d look into her schedule and get back to him. But what was going through Auer’s mind? They were friends, right? Could he have fallen for Print’s personality behind a familiar face?
Rey didn’t want to think too much about it. Print hadn’t given him a resounding yes, though she probably would if she really had a crush on him. But what the hell was her friend Auer thinking? Was he really into Print? Or had he been into Rey the whole time and she never noticed? It bugged her more than she’d like to admit to think of the possibilities... But she went on about her day, trying to focus on her routine.
That evening, Rey entered the living room, fresh pyjamas on and patting her hair dry, to a very preoccupied Print typing on the computer with fervour. But as Print noticed her coming in, she nearly jumped out of her skin and slapped the laptop shut.
“What’s so secret?”
“Secret?” Print smiled sheepishly. “No secret, just… Checking my socials.”
Rey gave her a look that showed how little she believed that, followed by a little smirk.
“Were you texting a special someone, by any chance?”
“What? No! Who would I even…”
“I have an idea who…”
Rey left it at that, seeing how flustered Print seemed by her teasing. But the little beetle scratching at the back of her mind wondered if Print had said yes to the dinner that Rey wasn’t supposed to know about.
During the following day, Rey approached Auer as Print to try to figure out if he really was into Print after all and if they really had plans together. She knew how not to make it too obvious, of course. Rey was a great diplomat, after all. Always her best face on to meet whoever her mother deemed important for her to meet.
Auer was friendly to Rey in Print’s skin. He was a friendly guy to most people. But he really seemed to prefer the company of Print above others. Despite Rey’s best effort, though, Auer didn’t confess about any plans.
All of this was making Rey question herself and their friendship. As she ate dinner with Print that evening, she chewed on these troubling thoughts. If Auer really did have feelings for Print, did this mean that he had always been attracted to Rey but not to her personality? And now the goofball, head-in-the-clouds, bashful Print in the wrong body had been just what he had been looking for? Print did seem warmer to people than Rey… More genuine? No, no, no. Rey shook her head like an Etch-A-Sketch to push the ideas away. Despite the messy situation she and Print were in, she’d gain nothing from comparing herself to Print. But something about the thought of those two sitting down for a lovely dinner together bugged Rey…
Rey and Print were sitting on Rey’s nice, big couch looking at their phones for a bit. Print, refusing to sit normally unless a camera was on her, was huddled with her legs up against her chest, back against the armrest, lightly poking Rey’s thigh with her foot. Rey looked up from her phone to scowl at her.
“What?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
Rey nodded impatiently. Print seemed nervous with whatever was about to come out of her mouth, hands fumbling around with her phone.
“How close are you and Auer?”
Rey raised an eyebrow. So smooth, Print…
“We’ve been friends for years, why?”
Print pursed her lips and nodded lightly. “Just friends?”
“Hmm.” Rey nodded.
Print kept nodding and went back to focus on her phone, weirdly careful not to let Rey look at the screen.
Rey hung onto the calm tide of her inner self as the waves started crashing over the shores. She knew it! Print was definitely, undoubtedly into Auer. And much to her surprise, he might be into Print too.
The next day, as the two of them hurriedly ate lunch on set, Print said almost to the air itself.
“Today I won’t have dinner at home, okay?”
Oh. So, the date was on. But if Rey said anything about it now, Print would know that Rey had been listening in on their conversation two days before. So, she kept it simple, kept all the possibilities to herself, showed disinterest.
“Sure.”
But that evening a fiery anxiousness burned in Rey’s chest as she waited for Print to return home. Rey had told herself that she would be calm and collected while asking Print about dinner, but the truth is she wanted to know every detail of the date as soon as Print got back.
Could they be kissing that very moment? Why did the thought of it feel like bubbling lava at the pit of Rey’s stomach? What would this even mean for the three of them going forward, given the body swap? Should Rey even let them be together if she and Print were to switch back to their own bodies soon? Oh gods, what had Rey even done? Why hadn’t she said anything sooner???
While Rey spiralled, pacing restlessly in front of the million-dollar view of her apartment, the front door clicked open. She nearly leaped towards the door to demand answers, but after a lifetime of training to keep her composure, Rey sat on the couch and managed to plant an easy smile on her worried face as Print approached. Print threw the little designer bag on the coffee table and plopped down next to Rey. She looked a bit too relaxed for someone who just went on a first date. But it was Print, after all. Too relaxed seemed like her modus operandi.
“How was dinner? What did you eat?”
Print smiled.
“Good. Surprising. Don’t worry, I didn’t eat a bunch of fat foods. Just some salads.”
Surprising? A million scenarios ran through Rey’s mind before she could stop it, but the main one was of her friend Auer and her… What even were they? Rivals? Not anymore… Co-workers? Flatmates? Hesitant friends inhabiting each other’s body? It sounded weird and not complex enough for their situation.
Whatever they were, it was weird for Rey to picture Print in the wrong body kissing a friend of hers and she icked at the mere thought. Rey was staring straight ahead, mind elsewhere, eyes lost in the vast view that suddenly seemed so empty… She must have been quiet for too long, because Print piped in.
“Hey, Rey. Can I ask something?”
Rey nodded while keeping her dazed eyes on the view.
“Do you… Like Auer?”
Rey almost laughed at this. Print was the one going on dates with him and she still asked this? Was she afraid that Auer already liked Real Rey before they switched bodies? Rey wasn’t about to make it easy on Print.
“What makes you think that?”
“Well, you two seem close. I was just wondering…”
Rey couldn’t help smirking as it became obvious that Print was jealous. Maybe this was the way to get her to reveal what happened during the date. But even as Rey said the words, there was a nervous tremor in her belly.
“Why, did he do something to make you think that?”
Print tried to poorly hide how flustered she became.
“Ah, no! No, no, no! He seems very nice, that’s all.”
Maybe the date hadn’t gone that well. Auer was a gentleman. Rey mentally patted him on the back for being patient and respectful. But she still felt weird about Print and him going on dates. And he thought it was the real Rey he was going out with.
“Very nice?”
Rey trained her smirk on Print. Print’s body was too good at smirking, for some reason. But she loved weaponizing it against the owner of the body Rey was trapped in. It felt like a taste of her own medicine for Print, to a degree, who had such an unserious nature.
“Well, you’d know him better than me, Khun Rey…”
Print looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but she turned her attention to her phone and the subject of Auer and the date died there, much to Rey’s unsatiated curiosity. Once again, Print not-so-smoothly had her phone screen turned away from Rey. It was obvious who she was texting…
Rey wondered if Print had added Auer on some different social media under Rey’s name, to keep appearances. Because Rey had been keeping an eye on her own messages and he was not messaging her there.
They went to sleep, but Rey had an uneasiness within her that she couldn’t quite explain…
The next day, Rey kept an eye on both of them while on set. Print definitely had her eye trained on Auer, but he seemed to be acting normal, focused on work and only chatting a bit during the short breaks they had. He even disappeared shortly sometimes and Rey could swear that Print was looking around for him. Could it be that he had rejected Print? Him and Rey had been good friends for years, after all. That thought brought Rey a peace and warmth that she didn’t dare name.
But her peace of mind didn’t last very long. During the afternoon, at one point, it seemed that both Print and Auer had vanished into thin air, somewhere in the many rooms of the “Doll Mansion.” Despite the fact that Rey had a scene to film in a few minutes and that she kept telling herself that she felt so completely fine about the date and everything else going on, she caught herself looking around the corners for those two.
Rey bumped into Print’s brother, Frank, while slithering through the backstage rooms. He was holding a doll in his hands.
“Woah, sis! Careful not to break the prop. We worked hard on it.”
“Sorry. Frank, have you seen Rey and Auer?”
“Somewhere back there.”
Frank pointed to the halls behind him, shot her a sweet smile and went on his way.
Rey knew the break was almost over, so she lost no time and headed into the backrooms that were mostly used by the art department. After some searching, she heard a familiar voice, her own voice, and stopped in her tracks to listen, with her back against the nearest wall.
“…sure? You better be really certain and serious if you’re going to ask someone to date you.”
“Of course, Rey. You’ve known me for a long time now. You know when I say I’m serious, I really am.”
Rey’s heart started hammering in her chest like it was trying to escape from the ribcage. It was harder to hear them over the drumming heartbeat in her ears. She did her best to focus.
“I thought you’d be happy.” His voice went on calmly, with some amusement.
“I am, of course.”
A cold shiver ran through Rey as she realised, from Print’s forced tone… Was Print forcing herself to date him because she thought Rey was into him? No, it couldn’t be… This idea seemed almost worse than Print wanting to go out with him for the sake of her own crush.
A hand on her shoulder made Rey jump in surprise. A crew member shot her a tired smile.
“Print, you’re up. We start shooting in two.”
As she filmed the rest of the scenes for that day, that thought kept haunting her. Well, sure, Rey had her reservations and perhaps questions about Print going on dates with Auer in Rey’s body. Their situation wasn’t exactly normal and both Print and Auer were close to Rey. It was a complicated situation at its core as it is. But if Print was going out with him thinking she was doing Rey a favour, and not because of her own crush on Auer… The possibility of this almost broke Rey’s heart. She had to clear things up once and for all.
After dinner, Print was typing intensely behind her laptop, as she always did lately. And as she did too often lately, once Rey approached, Print quickly shut the laptop. Rey leaned on one hand on the desk and sighed deeply through her nose. Time to get the truth out of this stubborn fool in front of her.
Rey figured there were two options: either Print did like Auer or she didn’t. And while it seemed clear to Rey that Print did like him, if Print was going out with him in Rey’s name without considering all parts involved, they really needed to talk it out. At least between the two of them, who shared bodies and a roof. They could deal with Auer later. Rey trusted him enough not to turn his back on them if it all stopped coming up roses for him.
But this fool in front of her, secretive and in over her head, needed to come clean once and for all. Rey was done trying to work it all out by herself. It was time to face the music.
“Do you like Auer?”
Print opened her eyes really wide at this question, as if it was the last thing she wanted to hear from Rey.
“Why would you ask that?”
Rey rolled her eyes and exhaled through the nose.
“Just answer.”
“I don’t.”
Print’s mouth said one thing, but the deep blush on her cheeks said another.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Print. It’s okay.”
“No, I really don’t!” Print waved her hands frantically in front of her.
Oh. Rey was taken back by this. Print seemed to be telling the truth.
“Rey, I thought you liked him. You’ve been acting weird and staring at him a lot on set.”
“What? That’s because I know you went on a date with him! As me!”
The truth was all out. But it was better this way. Rey let the words come out as they may.
“I heard him inviting you for dinner the other day, and then you kept asking all these things about him!”
To Print’s credit, she did seem ashamed of being caught red-handed in all this. Print picked at the hems of her pyjama shirt.
“Well, okay… I did go to dinner with him.”
Rey raised her eyebrows at her to let her know that I knew it!
“But I only went because I wanted to know if he likes you as more than a friend! Which he doesn’t.”
Rey blinked rapidly. So, it wasn’t a date at all? Neither of them liked each other that way? The realisation made her smile.
“Wait, so why did he invite you out? It sounded like a special occasion…”
Print looked very grave. Her change in demeanour made Rey brace for the worst.
“Auer is actually… Dating my brother Frank. He wanted dating advice.”
Rey just stared blankly at Print for a few seconds, before laughter burst out of her uncontrollably. Print pouting at her just made her laugh harder. Rey couldn’t remember ever having laughed this hard. This whole situation now seemed like a joke that wrote itself in the fateful webs of the universe.
“Rey, stop. It’s not funny…”
But it was too funny for Rey, who had been going round and round in her head like a rabid hamster for days, thinking her dear friend Auer was into her or Print. After a while, Rey managed to stifle her laugh, and a pouting Print slapped her arm.
“Not funny…”
“Aw, come on. That’s so sweet. I’m happy for my friend to have found someone.”
“But did that someone have to be my brother?”
Rey smirked and pinched Print’s nose playfully.
“Print, relax. Auer is a good person. Frank will be in fine hands.”
The air seemed clearer than ever between them, now that the truth was finally out. But as Rey got ready for work the next morning, two questions surfaced in the calmer tide of her mind: If Print didn’t have a crush on Auer after all, who did she have a crush on? And who had Print been texting so intensely the past few days?
That evening, as Print rushed to shower, she lowered the laptop screen without properly shutting it. Rey debated with herself for a few minutes if she should do such a thing as take a peek. If she just looked at the name and not the messages themselves, it wouldn’t be that bad, right?
Rey pulled the screen a bit further up, just to see what was open. No messaging programs, but one of Print’s social media websites was open in the browser. Except it wasn’t Print’s work account, nor the private one for her friends and family that Rey already knew of. The account’s profile picture was… Rey with a crown emoji and sparkles around her? But it was the account name that really baffled Rey: reyreyspinkyfinger28. Rey just stared at the account details for a few seconds, in shock. Then she looked at the posts appearing for this account: it was all about Rey. Was this a fan account that Print had for Rey’s fan club?
But before Rey could look at anything else, she heard Print come out of the bathroom. Rey lowered the screen and went back to her evening routine.
After they studied their lines and each went to bed that evening, Rey pulled up reyreyspinkyfinger28’s account on her phone. She scrolled through and quickly realised that all of this account’s activity seemed to be defending Rey from the haters and internet trolls. Rey blushed, alone in her bed. Why was Print doing such a thing? But Rey couldn’t help reading through all the comments defending her honour from all these complete strangers. A warmth enveloped her knowing it had been Print writing all of those.
Rey noticed that a lot of the replies over the last few days seemed to be on posts shipping Rey and Auer. No wonder Print seemed so focused on this subject lately. The TV show they were on was just making the fans ship them even harder than before. Rey didn’t really mind. The fans always shipped whoever acted together in romantic dramas. It was part if the industry, part of the show. Print was new to the industry, so she didn’t get it yet. It was a waste of time to be arguing with these strangers who only saw what happened in front of the cameras. They had no idea what Rey’s life was like when she went home. They had no idea Rey had been living with Print for a few weeks now; that they shared a roof, meals, bodies, concerns and everything else in their daily lives to a degree that went beyond natural intimacy. It was Rey and Print against the world, at that moment. For better and for worse.
It finally clicked, in Rey’s mind. She knew who Print’s crush was. The realisation made her feel lighter than she had since she had felt in a long time. Rey felt full of life.
She got up, phone in hand, walked into the living room, turned the light back on. Print grumbled.
“I’m trying to sleep.”
Rey put the phone in front of Print’s face. The comment Rey had left opened read: nah, Rey is super professional and a really good actress. They’ve just been friends for years.” Reading this, Print got up so fast that she hit her forehead on the phone. She rubbed her forehead as she sat back, but when her eyes met Rey’s, a deep blush settled on her cheeks.
“I know it’s you. Why?”
“Well, some of Auer’s fans are scary. I just wanted to put them in their place a bit.”
Rey put down the phone and leaned down, one hand against the back of the sofa, face close to Print’s. Print nearly shrank under the closeness, and it didn’t do any favours to bring down her blush either.
“Who do you have a crush on?”
Print swallowed dryly.
“No one. What are you talking about?”
Rey leaned in until their lips almost touched. Print took in a sharp breath and closed her eyes.
“Suit yourself.”
Rey pulled away while licking her lips and smirking, but as she motioned to leave, Print grabbed her by the wrist.
“Khun Rey… Do you have a crush on anyone?”
“Maybe.” Rey smirked and gently removed the hand from her wrist. “Goodnight, Print.”
Rey went back into the bedroom, back into bed with the covers up to her face and shrieked quietly into them. So, neither of them was into Auer, and Print actually liked… Rey? Rey was happier than she’d like to admit. But with the two of them living together, how long would it take her to make Print admit that she had a crush on Rey?