Weeks slipped past in a blur. Progress stacked upon progress until the work no longer felt like preparation but like the inevitable rush of something that could not be slowed.
Shooting had begun in full force, trailers had already rolled out across every platform, and glossy photos of the cast had spread like wildfire through the public.
The reaction had been overwhelming, fans flooding comment sections with excitement, each post echoing the same hunger.
It was clear that they couldn't wait. They were starved for the next masterpiece from a company that never once left its audience disappointed.
The flood of comments about the leads never seemed to end. Fans picked apart every still photo, every leaked second of footage, gasping over how perfect the main actors looked, how effortlessly they carried their roles.
The admiration for their talent spread like a storm. Even the behind-the-scenes clips, which trickled out almost daily, drew praise.
Every moment Zayn and Mia shared on screen or in rehearsal was dissected, replayed, and adored.
Fans couldn't get enough of them, declaring the chemistry between the two impossible to fake.
And of course, all of this gnawed at Finn. The deeper their popularity rose, the heavier that weight pressed on him. More than ever, it unsettled him because he knew with an unshakable certainty that Zayn and Mia's closeness was not confined to cameras.
He was convinced they had crossed into something personal, something private. If they hadn't already, then they were only a step away from it.
They had gotten too close with each other.
That thought burned at him constantly, a quiet poison that refused to leave his head.
Zayn had stopped arguing with him the way he used to, abandoning the constant sparring they'd fallen into for years.
The shift was sharp enough that Finn nearly found himself despising Mia for it. That anger turned in on itself, forcing him to question why he reacted the way he did about them.
Shouldn't he be relieved that Zayn no longer challenged him at every turn? That there were no more childish competitions draining their energy?
But Even when he told himself he hated Zayn, he could not stop watching him, worrying over what mistakes he might make, what reckless decision might ruin him.
Falling for Mia was reckless. Loving her outright was dangerous, forbidden. If it came to light, Zayn would lose his role, his position and maybe even expelled from the college, because it was a rule.
But even so, Finn knew his irritation, his constant restlessness, wasn't just about Zayn's mistakes and consequences.
His obsession with them was so relentless that he began convincing himself of another possibility: maybe he felt something for Mia too. Zayn had thrown that suggestion at him before, and though he'd dismissed it then, the idea had started to stick.
The logic almost made sense. He and Zayn shared the same interests, the same obsessions, competed over everything else. Why not this too? Maybe that was the only reason his thoughts tangled every time he looked at them tomorrow.
Maybe he hadn't realized it before because he'd never had the time to know what liking someone even felt like.
Eventually, he concluded that yes.. there was something there. He did feel something for Mia. But even then, he hadn't planned to say a word about it.
The rules were ironclad: no relationships with co-actors.
Still, since Zayn had clearly chosen to ignore those boundaries, Finn told himself he would take a step. He would tell Zayn plainly: You were right. I actually feel something for Mia.
Maybe then Zayn would see it as competition over something else, and rather than letting it turn into a fight or rivalry over Mia, he would decide to let go.. that way, they wouldn't risk exposing themselves.
And if Zayn stepped back and let go of what had been growing between him and Mia, then Finn could let go too, that way.. they could both focus on what they were supposed to be doing.
"Cut!" the director called out, clapping his hands together with bright satisfaction. His voice rang through the set. "You two are the greatest pair I've ever had the privilege of working with."
It was Zayn and Mia again, just finishing their first intense romantic scene. The beginning of their characters' relationship unfolded on screen with a fluidity that almost felt too natural.
Everyone gathered around, the crew, the assistants, the set designers.. watched and couldn't help but agree.
"The three of them are brilliant," another director chimed in, glancing around with a grin. "Where's my favorite abusive husband and rival?" His gaze hunted the room until it landed on Finn.
The crew laughed at the title.
The first director joined in with a laugh of his own, then added more seriously, "He's right about the three of you. Everything is flowing well.. the lines, the performances, all of it. Finn…" His tone dipped, careful but firm. "Your fire with Mia is brutal and sharp, exactly what it should be. But with Zayn… it's dying. That spark, that rivalry, it's slipping away. Keep it alive. Don't let it fade." He paused before waving them off. "That's enough for today. Good job, everyone. And listen, when we say 'the three,' we don't mean to take away from the rest of you. Every single person here is doing their job perfectly. Keep it up."
There was no leaving this place, because it was the same hotel where they were filming and also where their rooms had been booked for the scenes they were working on.
Zayn's character owned the biggest hotel.. that was his business in the story, and coincidentally, it was the very same hotel they used both for shooting and for staying in afterward
As the crew dispersed to shower, rest, and prepare for the next day's grind, the social media manager appeared, his expression tight.
He hurried over to the directors, whispering something that instantly pulled the ease out of their faces.
Stress cut across their features, and within minutes, both Zayn and Finn were summoned into a corner meeting.
"There's some news," one of the directors said, trying for calm. "But don't panic, we'll handle it. There are comments circling among fans. They're pairing the two of you together, shipping you." His voice dropped. "And we know it's just fans from BL communities. They get carried away, they'll make something out of any closeness between men.
And most of these rumors are from behind-the-scenes footage, so for now, we need you to stay away from each other.. publicly and privately. You never know where a camera could capture you. Until it cools down, we want to avoid more fuel. We don't produce LGBTQ content, and we won't risk making our fans or actors uncomfortable with rumors like this."
The words struck like a slap. Both of them froze. They hadn't even been close lately, not the way they once were. Where were fans pulling this from?
A glance too long, an accidental brush in passing? Maybe fleeting eye contact was enough for people hungry to see something that wasn't there.
"But we're sharing a room, how can we avoid each other in private?!" Finn said before he could stop himself.
"Then you'll have to swap," the second director answered, immediately.
"No," Zayn cut in instantly, his refusal sharp. "I mean... why? No one will follow us into our room with a camera. No one will post about us sharing. Tomorrow we've got a long scene together, and we planned to rehearse tonight."
Finn turned toward him, caught off guard. Planned? He didn't remember talking about that with him.