Work Text:
"We want you guys to do fan service."
"Fan service?" Till echoed as if the concept was foreign to him.
In all honesty, it was. He knew about fan service. But in his lengthy acting career, the subject had never been brought up as something he should participate in. Wasn't it something reserved for idols to please their fans?
One of the directors nodded, "Since filming is done, we were trying to think of good ways to draw attention to the show before the release. We have a strong well-known cast, but the prerelease marketing hasn't been hitting as hard as we had hoped it would."
"Ivan still has quite a large fan base from his idol days, and you're known for never dating. Wouldn't your fans be more than interested if you started dating one of your costars?" The other director chimed in.
Till raised a hand to his face, his fingers sliding under his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. His other hand found his hip while he tried to wrap his mind around what they were being asked to do.
Thing was, the biggest glaring issue wasn't the fact he was being asked to fake date Ivan.
It was the fact that Till had plans to try to date Ivan for real after filming ended.
He had kept himself in check best he could while they were filming, he didn't want to do anything that might disrupt Ivan's performance. This was Ivan's first acting job since retiring as an idol, and Till wanted it to go as smoothly as it could.
Which, in retrospect, didn't go very well in terms of controlling himself. But, in his defense, it was Ivan. How could he really be expected to not flirt?
With filming finally ending today, Till was supposed to be free to do as he liked in terms of taking Ivan out for dates and showering him in affection.
But now all of those plans were about to go out the window. Ivan wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, something Till found endearing, but the chances that Ivan would look at Till's actions as any more than him putting on an act as they were being asked were slim.
"What about everyone else?" Till inquired politely, though his actual question came through clear. "Does everyone else have to do this too, or just us?"
One of the directors flipped through a few pages on her clipboard mindlessly, "Well, as you know, Mizi and Sua are already in a relationship. I'm not sure if you heard, but they were caught stealing kisses in Sua's car a few weeks ago. Hyuna and Luka already have something of the sort going on, I can't even count the number of photos taken of them in expensive restaurants on both of my hands."
"Leaving you two as the only people from the main cast who don't have some sort of public relationship," The other continued, looking up at both of them earnestly.
Till let out a long sigh. From a PR position, Ivan and Till's lack of being seen in public wasn't very good for the show. If all his other costars weren't all over each other in the public eye, it wouldn't be an issue. But, everyone else seemed to have something going on off set.
Marketing stunt aside, Till could see it reflecting poorly on the show.
Comments about Ivan and Till's characters lack of chemistry would flood the reviews on their episodes just because they didn't have a relationship like their other costars outside of them.
"Ivan, what do you think?" Till turned to the surprisingly silent man next to him, who hadn't said a word this entire meeting. Till wasn't exactly sure what expression he thought Ivan would have, he'd been too wrapped up in his own head to think about it.
Ivan stood next to him, hands clasped tightly and his shoulders pulled forward like he was trying to make himself smaller. His eyes were blown wide and his lips pursed. If not for the deep red blush that sat on his face, Till would say he looked uncomfortable.
But, if anything, he looked embarrassed about how happy he seemed about the situation.
Any other questions of protests died in Till's throat, unable to take his eyes off the other as he spoke, "We'll do it."
Maybe it would be fine after all.
It's been a month since then, and things were not fine at all. Nothing was going as well as Till was betting they would be. Was he deluding himself in that meeting when he looked over at Ivan?
No, Till was sure he wasn't. So just why was Ivan so hyper-focused on the fake part of their relationship?
Till's phone buzzed on his kitchen counter, and he placed down his mug of coffee to grab it. By now, he already knew what reply awaited him, but that didn't stop him from trying anyway.
The Idiot (♡)
Would you like to come over for
dinner at my place
this week?
there wont be anyone to take
photos of us at your house
tho
what about going to a
that new cafe that just opened?
its pretty popular!
Till let out a long sigh, running his hand over his face. Was he purposely not taking the hint? This was exactly what he was worried about.
It didn't seem like Ivan didn't see this as anymore than another part of the job.
But, it wasn't like Ivan didn't have real feelings for him. If so, what was all that stuttering, avoiding eye contact, and blushing around him on set all about? Ivan didn't act that way around anyone else. It was the only logical conclusion.
So, just why wasn't he taking any of the chances to be alone that Till was offering?
Maybe Till was getting a little egotistical in his old age.
No.
Things couldn't go on like this.
"We're settling this matter today. If he won't take the hint, I'm going to throw it in his face," Till spoke decisively to the no one else in his home as he typed out a reply.
The Idiot (♡)
Okay.
Ivan shifted around uncomfortably in his chair. Something was different with Till today.
Did Till figure him out? That he had been stupidly in love with him since they practiced their kiss scene in Till's trailer.
No way, he had been so careful. He'd turned down each opportunity to be completely alone with Till that he was given. He only initiated physical contact when he spotted a camera.
Did he slip up somewhere?
Ivan felt like he was starting to sweat as he mind raced at the possibility.
"Ivan."
Till sat across from him at the small table on the outdoor patio, his legs crossed and staring at him over his coffee cup with a kind of intensity that he hadn't before.
It was like he was trying to dissect Ivan with his eyes.
"Uhm," Ivan started, taking a small bite of his strawberry cake before continuing, "Is something wrong?"
Till seemed to think for a moment, and Ivan could barely taste his cake, "I'm not sure."
"You're not sure?" Ivan wondered.
Till set down his cup with a sigh, "You know what, I'm just going to come out and say it."
Ivan froze in his seat.
Oh no.
He definitely got caught.
Ivan put up his hand and closed his eyes, "Give me a moment."
He could hear the confusion in Till's voice, "What?"
Ivan sucked in a deep breath. He needed to steal himself for rejection. He couldn't cry, not here. What would happen to everything they'd worked for with these fake dates if a photo of Ivan crying came out?
That's backtrack them so far, it would have been better if they'd never tried this in the first place. Ivan felt like he could see the fan posts now, bashing Till for making him cry.
Ivan flinched as a hand met his, and Ivan opened his eyes to find Till wiggling his fingers between Ivan's, linking their hands.
"Oh, is there-" Ivan started to ask, looking around for a camera.
"Ivan," Till huffed, "I don't know what is going through your head right now but me holding your hand has nothing with our little 'fake dating' stunt."
Ivan turned back to Till, his eyebrows scrunching together in bewilderment.
Whatever slightly bitter look that Till held before melted away as Ivan zoned in on him, being replaced with something much softer. That look Ivan knew well, the one Till gave him on set, and stayed on his face through each of their dates.
"Then was does it have to with?" Ivan inquired quietly, cursing himself for the way he felt his face heat up.
"It has to do with the fact that I have feelings for you," Till stated bluntly.
Ivan's eyes grew wide, and he unconsciously squeezed Tills hand tighter in his own. If not for the fact that the tips of Till's ears burned a red similar to the one he knew was on his face, he'd think he was lying.
Before Ivan had a chance to reply, Till was rising to his feet and leaning over the table.
'Oh my god, he's going to kiss me,' Ivan thought, and let his eyes fall closed, maybe a little eager.
But right before their lips met, Till's glasses bumped into his nose, stopping them both from going any further.
"Oh my god-" Ivan murmured, trying not to laugh.
He opened his eyes to see Till still leaned over him, his face flushed in embarrassment and his eyes screwed shut as if he didn't want to open them and face Ivan's giggling.
Ivan reached up and gently pinched one of the arms on the frames, and pulled them off his face. Till opened his eyes as he did so, and Ivan watched as his eyes first met his lips before rising to his.
"I really like you, Ivan," he whispered.
Ivan nodded and hummed. He'd never imagined that there was a chance that Till returned his feelings. Too many feelings were bubbling up in him to truly process this moment, but that was okay.
Suddenly, it felt like they had all the time in the world.
"Can we try that again?" Ivan muttered.
"Please," Till replied softly, leaning back in.
[art by @AnakitoArt]