Work Text:
“So, you’re not dating, is that right?” the reporter asks as they settle onto the sofa in front of her. They look at her with surprise in their eyes, then at each other.
“Not dating?” Phuwin asks, using his most timid voice.
“I mean… that’s what you keep saying, isn’t it?” the poor woman tries to save herself, her breathing quickening. Pond and Phuwin sit side by side, both with a challenge in their eyes; Phuwin has his arms crossed, and Pond tilts his head slightly. She’s never met them before, but she’s gathered, as she thought, enough information about them ahead of the interview. She glances at her boss, who signals for her to continue. She closes her eyes before trying again. “Your fans are real detectives, but apart from your colleagues’ suggestions, there’s no concrete evidence that you’re seeing each other. So, you’re not dating, are you?”
Phuwin looks at Pond and points at the reporter, who for some reason starts to sweat. “Why wouldn’t we be dating?” Pond finally asks, and this time it’s the reporter who’s confused.
Finally, she nods and says, “Oh! Congratulations! Is it exciting to be dating your long-time on-screen partner?” The reporter smiles as beautifully as she can, but the smile fades when Phuwin looks at her again.
“We’re not dating,” he replies simply, firmly. She has to take three deep breaths before she can continue. Five minutes have passed and she hasn’t got anything out of them, whilst they look rather smug that they’ve managed to confuse her.
“But Pond just –oh, okay. Fine. I’ll change the question then,” she says, glancing at the list of questions they’ve agreed to answer, making sure the one about dating is there – and, as she thought, it’s marked as the one to ask. “If you’re not dating, that mean you’re married, I assume?” the reporter asks the question she’d found during her preparations.
The broad smiles on Pond and Phuwin’s faces say it all. She feels relieved. “You’ve finally got it! And the answer is yes,” Pond replies, and Phuwin nods happily. The woman is ready to jot it down, but Phuwin’s voice stops her.
“But you can’t share this information with anyone,” he says, his gaze shifting from her to everyone else in the room. Everyone takes a sharp, collective breath.
The reporter rubs her eyes and starts to laugh. “Of course, this will stay between the two of you and me. Next question?”
“Go ahead,” Phuwin replies, smiling at her.
Their fans were right when she asked them if it was worth asking this question. They all said the same thing – they wouldn’t answer anyway, otherwise she’d end up dead. The latter wasn’t an option; she was too young to die. She nods and chooses a safe question, though suggestive enough to get the fans speculating.
“After so many years together and so many trips, is there a country or city you could call your second home?”
“Yes!” they reply in unison, after which Pond gestures to Phuwin to start.
“Actually...”