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fic advent 2013: day fifteen
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roebling ♥
hoya/seo inguk
pg, 1.9k words
"AU where they are cast in an action movie together."
roebling ♥hoya/seo inguk
pg, 1.9k words
"AU where they are cast in an action movie together."
When Howon meets Inguk he’s, well, certainly not what he was expecting.
Howon ends up nearly half an hour early for the first table read, thanks to traffic and his manager’s insistence that he make a good first impression, but Inguk beat him there. He’s already settled down at the table, talking brightly with one of the PDs. Howon doesn’t know much about his new costar, just that he’d won some kind of reality show and now they’re both starring in a movie where they’re going to have to drive very fast cars. Howon hopes that Inguk can drive.
Inguk introduces himself with an enthusiastic bow and an unexpected handshake, and Howon does his best not to be too aware of the difference in size between the two of them. Inguk’s hand swallows his, grip firm. “Howon-ssi, it’s so nice to meet you!” Inguk says. “I hope we will work well together.”
“Ah, yes, thank you,” Howon replies. He can’t quite decide if he thinks that Inguk is handsome, but he is tall and well-built, and there’s something very earnest about the way that he smiles at Howon. He seems nice enough. “I’m sure we’ll do well.”
The rest of the cast filters in, and they take their seats. Howon recognizes Eunji, further down the table, and she waves at him. It’s nice to have at least one familiar face. He’s worked a lot of television, but this is Howon’s first film, and there’s a certain amount of pressure that comes with that. He’s proven himself able to draw in viewers on a weekly basis, but this is definitely not on the same scale.
He’s not the only nervous one. Next to him, Inguk pulls at the cuffs of his thick sweater. Howon doesn’t blame him. Before he’d done his research on this project, Howon, well, he hadn’t really heard of Inguk before. He’s put out a couple of Japanese singles and played a handful of bit parts on some popular dramas, but that’s about it. He gets why Inguk’s sitting too straight, hands clenching against his knees.
Once introductions are made, they settle down to run through the script for the first time. Inguk’s elbow bumps into Howon’s, and Howon wants to laugh at the face that Inguk makes, head bobbing in apology. He settles for smiling instead. He’s never met anyone who is this big and this unsure. It’s an interesting combination, and one he’s going to spend the next eight months with. That’ll be something.
-
It’s hard not to get to know someone when you spend a lot of your day stuck in a car with them. Howon’s no stranger to long days, but even he burns out after thirteen hours. Inguk, on the other hand, never seems to lose his positivity. They can be running through their seventeenth take of the same shot, sitting in the same car they’ve been sitting in since noon, but Inguk is always ready to go. It should be irritating, but Howon mostly finds it kind of impressive. Plus, Howon is pretty sure that Inguk’s white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel isn’t just acting.
But maybe that’s just guessing. Hours on set mean that now Howon knows that Inguk is slavishly to his workout and never hesitates to volunteer to pick up coffee for everyone, but he still keeps to himself a little. It’s funny, because they might sit together during their lunch breaks but it’s always Inguk asking the questions, leaning in close and staring at Howon attentively. It’s kind of weird, but also flattering, so Howon lets it slide.
Still, Inguk is on his own. It’s easier for Howon - he’s not the friendliest guy, but he knows Eunji, and Eunji, naturally, has already befriended everyone in the cast and most of the crew too. Inguk is kind of flying blind.
When the director finally calls cut, and Howon climbs out of the car and stretches his legs, he watches Inguk diligently thank the crew and staff for their time. “Hey,” Inguk says, finally coming back to Howon. He still has fake dirt streaked across his cheekbone and his jaw, and Howon thinks it makes him look significantly tougher. “Good work today.” He fidgets with his water bottle as they make their way down the hall to get out of their stage clothes and offers Howon a bright, hopeful smile. “Are you doing anything after this? Maybe we could grab a drink?”
“Ah, sorry,” Howon says, and he is genuinely regretful. “I’ve got plans with Eunji.” They’ve got a late shoot tomorrow, so they had decided to take advantage and head out for a night on the town.
Inguk droops at the reply, though he recovers quickly enough. “Ah, of course,” he says.
Howon presses his lips together and turns to the sink, diligently scrubbing stage dirt off his face. It’s been a few weeks, and Inguk has never joined in on their cast get-togethers. In the mirror, he watches Inguk frown down as his hands as he fumbles with the buttons of his shirt. “Why don’t you come with us?” he suggests. It’s not as though it’s a date, after all (he and Eunji had come close, once, but that’d ended after one embarrassing make out session and one soiled pair of jeans, and Howon doesn’t like to think about it).
Inguk freezes, his shirt half open, and Howon pointedly does not look at the smooth planes of his chest (wow, that is...wow. Wow). “Is that cool?” Inguk asks. “I mean…”
“Of course,” Howon rolls his eyes, smiling. “It’s a bunch of the cast going. You’re more than welcome.”
Inguk’s entire face creases up in a smile. “Yeah, sure, I mean, that sounds awesome.”
Wiping the water off his face, Howon laughs. “Tell me that again tomorrow morning,” he cautions.
They leave te set together and Howon isn’t really expecting the long arm Inguk slings around his shoulders. It’s a bit too familiar, Howon thinks, but this is the first time that he’s seen Inguk look so happy and relaxed. It makes him feel kinda short, but he’ll let it slide.
-
It turns out that Inguk is a pretty awesome singer. He’s also got a ridiculous tolerance for alcohol. Howon is wobbling in his seat, fingers in a death grip around his drink, and yet Inguk just beams at him, unharmed. “How are you doing this?” Howon asks suspiciously. He’s pretty sure he’s still one beer down on Inguk, but it’s Inguk who steadies him. “Black magic.”
Inguk laughs at him. “Years of practice,” he says sagely. For once, Howon remembers that Inguk is older than him, by a good couple of years. It’s an easy thing to forget, when Inguk is so eager to please and makes himself so small. “Don’t feel too bad about it.”
He can see the way that Inguk’s eyes wander out into the club, to where Eunji is coaxing their assistant director into dancing with her. The little man is flushed and drunk and doing his very best to keep up with her, but, well. Points for enthusiasm, maybe. “Well,” Howon says. “Are you drunk enough to get out there with them yet?”
Howon has never seen that mischievous tilt to Inguk’s eyes. “Only if you come with me,” he insists. “I mean, unless you’re scared? Afraid to put yourself out there?”
Howon thinks that’s pretty unfair, considering he’s drunk himself unsteady. Good thing he’s an amazing dancer. Inguk will never know what hit him. “Please,” he says. “I’m not afraid of anything.” He’s also really terrible at turning down a dare, but that’s irrelevant. The alcohol in his blood is making this seem like a pretty good idea. So is the sheen of sweat across Inguk’s collarbones, exposed by a couple of popped buttons.
“I’m sure,” Inguk says, and that’s it. Howon slides off his seat and heads resolutely into the crowd. He’s a good dancer, and he knows it, but, well. If he stands next to their assistant director, he’ll look even better in comparison. That never hurts. He turns to look over his shoulder and Inguk is already there, drawn like he couldn’t help himself, grinning, his eyes fixed on Howon. He hopes he never looks away.
-
The sun is setting, and Inguk rests one big palm against the hood of the car, staring out at the horizon. He looks pensive, eyes dark, a streak of blood against his hairline where shattered glass has caught him. Howon watches him, waiting. And waiting. The silence stretches beyond pensive straight into awkward and then Howon knows that Inguk has forgotten his line. His face is out of the shot, so when Inguk turns to face him, he pulls a face, one so heinous that Inguk breaks, folding to press his forehead against the roof of the car as he laughs and laughs and laughs. Howon is pretty sure he likes him best like this, smiling so widely.
“Cut!” the director calls.
Inguk twists, reaching out and grabbing Howon’s shoulders and shaking him. It somehow ends with Inguk squeezing him tightly, trapping Howon in the circle of his arms and rocking him back and forth. By now, Howon has learned that trying to escape Inguk’s clutches never goes well - Howon is strong but Inguk is stronger and backed by an impressive level of will. He always likes to be touching Howon, hands on his biceps, knees, back. It can be kind of overwhelming, but in a good way, like a puppy. They’re kinda slobbery but they’re also pretty cute, so you forgive them.
“You know, you two are supposed to mistrust each other right now,” Joonmyun says from behind them.
“He forgot his line,” Howon accuses, and Inguk digs his fingers into his ribs.
“And he made a face,” Inguk retorts. On the other side of the car, Eunji has her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking helplessly with laughter.
Joonmyun stares at the two of them, his expression one of fond long suffering. “And that all matters, I’m sure,” he sighs. He fixes them with a pointed look until Inguk peels himself away, straightening his shoulders and clearing his throat. “Are you done?” he asks.
As ever, Howon is impressed at the speed with which Inguk composes his expression, going from grinning Inguk to serious, angst-ridden Wonil in a second. “I’m sorry,” he says, bowing. Howon mirrors the gesture, shooting Inguk a little look out of the corner of his eyes, and suddenly, they’re both grinning again.
“One more shot,” Joonmyun begs, taking his cap off to run a hand through his hair and then putting it on again. “Just give us one good shot. Then you can go.”
“You can count on us,” Howon tells him. They are professionals, after all. Eunji snorts.
“Alright,” the director says. “Places!” Inguk takes a step back, fixes his hand on the roof of the car again, and his face settles into a thoughtful mask once more. “And - action!”
Howon raises his chin and looks over at Inguk. This time, when Inguk turns to say his line, Howon still grins, and Joonmyun’s going to get them for needing yet another shot. But that’s okay, because the light in Inguk’s eyes, that’s all for Howon, and it always has been. He likes it that way.
Howon ends up nearly half an hour early for the first table read, thanks to traffic and his manager’s insistence that he make a good first impression, but Inguk beat him there. He’s already settled down at the table, talking brightly with one of the PDs. Howon doesn’t know much about his new costar, just that he’d won some kind of reality show and now they’re both starring in a movie where they’re going to have to drive very fast cars. Howon hopes that Inguk can drive.
Inguk introduces himself with an enthusiastic bow and an unexpected handshake, and Howon does his best not to be too aware of the difference in size between the two of them. Inguk’s hand swallows his, grip firm. “Howon-ssi, it’s so nice to meet you!” Inguk says. “I hope we will work well together.”
“Ah, yes, thank you,” Howon replies. He can’t quite decide if he thinks that Inguk is handsome, but he is tall and well-built, and there’s something very earnest about the way that he smiles at Howon. He seems nice enough. “I’m sure we’ll do well.”
The rest of the cast filters in, and they take their seats. Howon recognizes Eunji, further down the table, and she waves at him. It’s nice to have at least one familiar face. He’s worked a lot of television, but this is Howon’s first film, and there’s a certain amount of pressure that comes with that. He’s proven himself able to draw in viewers on a weekly basis, but this is definitely not on the same scale.
He’s not the only nervous one. Next to him, Inguk pulls at the cuffs of his thick sweater. Howon doesn’t blame him. Before he’d done his research on this project, Howon, well, he hadn’t really heard of Inguk before. He’s put out a couple of Japanese singles and played a handful of bit parts on some popular dramas, but that’s about it. He gets why Inguk’s sitting too straight, hands clenching against his knees.
Once introductions are made, they settle down to run through the script for the first time. Inguk’s elbow bumps into Howon’s, and Howon wants to laugh at the face that Inguk makes, head bobbing in apology. He settles for smiling instead. He’s never met anyone who is this big and this unsure. It’s an interesting combination, and one he’s going to spend the next eight months with. That’ll be something.
-
It’s hard not to get to know someone when you spend a lot of your day stuck in a car with them. Howon’s no stranger to long days, but even he burns out after thirteen hours. Inguk, on the other hand, never seems to lose his positivity. They can be running through their seventeenth take of the same shot, sitting in the same car they’ve been sitting in since noon, but Inguk is always ready to go. It should be irritating, but Howon mostly finds it kind of impressive. Plus, Howon is pretty sure that Inguk’s white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel isn’t just acting.
But maybe that’s just guessing. Hours on set mean that now Howon knows that Inguk is slavishly to his workout and never hesitates to volunteer to pick up coffee for everyone, but he still keeps to himself a little. It’s funny, because they might sit together during their lunch breaks but it’s always Inguk asking the questions, leaning in close and staring at Howon attentively. It’s kind of weird, but also flattering, so Howon lets it slide.
Still, Inguk is on his own. It’s easier for Howon - he’s not the friendliest guy, but he knows Eunji, and Eunji, naturally, has already befriended everyone in the cast and most of the crew too. Inguk is kind of flying blind.
When the director finally calls cut, and Howon climbs out of the car and stretches his legs, he watches Inguk diligently thank the crew and staff for their time. “Hey,” Inguk says, finally coming back to Howon. He still has fake dirt streaked across his cheekbone and his jaw, and Howon thinks it makes him look significantly tougher. “Good work today.” He fidgets with his water bottle as they make their way down the hall to get out of their stage clothes and offers Howon a bright, hopeful smile. “Are you doing anything after this? Maybe we could grab a drink?”
“Ah, sorry,” Howon says, and he is genuinely regretful. “I’ve got plans with Eunji.” They’ve got a late shoot tomorrow, so they had decided to take advantage and head out for a night on the town.
Inguk droops at the reply, though he recovers quickly enough. “Ah, of course,” he says.
Howon presses his lips together and turns to the sink, diligently scrubbing stage dirt off his face. It’s been a few weeks, and Inguk has never joined in on their cast get-togethers. In the mirror, he watches Inguk frown down as his hands as he fumbles with the buttons of his shirt. “Why don’t you come with us?” he suggests. It’s not as though it’s a date, after all (he and Eunji had come close, once, but that’d ended after one embarrassing make out session and one soiled pair of jeans, and Howon doesn’t like to think about it).
Inguk freezes, his shirt half open, and Howon pointedly does not look at the smooth planes of his chest (wow, that is...wow. Wow). “Is that cool?” Inguk asks. “I mean…”
“Of course,” Howon rolls his eyes, smiling. “It’s a bunch of the cast going. You’re more than welcome.”
Inguk’s entire face creases up in a smile. “Yeah, sure, I mean, that sounds awesome.”
Wiping the water off his face, Howon laughs. “Tell me that again tomorrow morning,” he cautions.
They leave te set together and Howon isn’t really expecting the long arm Inguk slings around his shoulders. It’s a bit too familiar, Howon thinks, but this is the first time that he’s seen Inguk look so happy and relaxed. It makes him feel kinda short, but he’ll let it slide.
-
It turns out that Inguk is a pretty awesome singer. He’s also got a ridiculous tolerance for alcohol. Howon is wobbling in his seat, fingers in a death grip around his drink, and yet Inguk just beams at him, unharmed. “How are you doing this?” Howon asks suspiciously. He’s pretty sure he’s still one beer down on Inguk, but it’s Inguk who steadies him. “Black magic.”
Inguk laughs at him. “Years of practice,” he says sagely. For once, Howon remembers that Inguk is older than him, by a good couple of years. It’s an easy thing to forget, when Inguk is so eager to please and makes himself so small. “Don’t feel too bad about it.”
He can see the way that Inguk’s eyes wander out into the club, to where Eunji is coaxing their assistant director into dancing with her. The little man is flushed and drunk and doing his very best to keep up with her, but, well. Points for enthusiasm, maybe. “Well,” Howon says. “Are you drunk enough to get out there with them yet?”
Howon has never seen that mischievous tilt to Inguk’s eyes. “Only if you come with me,” he insists. “I mean, unless you’re scared? Afraid to put yourself out there?”
Howon thinks that’s pretty unfair, considering he’s drunk himself unsteady. Good thing he’s an amazing dancer. Inguk will never know what hit him. “Please,” he says. “I’m not afraid of anything.” He’s also really terrible at turning down a dare, but that’s irrelevant. The alcohol in his blood is making this seem like a pretty good idea. So is the sheen of sweat across Inguk’s collarbones, exposed by a couple of popped buttons.
“I’m sure,” Inguk says, and that’s it. Howon slides off his seat and heads resolutely into the crowd. He’s a good dancer, and he knows it, but, well. If he stands next to their assistant director, he’ll look even better in comparison. That never hurts. He turns to look over his shoulder and Inguk is already there, drawn like he couldn’t help himself, grinning, his eyes fixed on Howon. He hopes he never looks away.
-
The sun is setting, and Inguk rests one big palm against the hood of the car, staring out at the horizon. He looks pensive, eyes dark, a streak of blood against his hairline where shattered glass has caught him. Howon watches him, waiting. And waiting. The silence stretches beyond pensive straight into awkward and then Howon knows that Inguk has forgotten his line. His face is out of the shot, so when Inguk turns to face him, he pulls a face, one so heinous that Inguk breaks, folding to press his forehead against the roof of the car as he laughs and laughs and laughs. Howon is pretty sure he likes him best like this, smiling so widely.
“Cut!” the director calls.
Inguk twists, reaching out and grabbing Howon’s shoulders and shaking him. It somehow ends with Inguk squeezing him tightly, trapping Howon in the circle of his arms and rocking him back and forth. By now, Howon has learned that trying to escape Inguk’s clutches never goes well - Howon is strong but Inguk is stronger and backed by an impressive level of will. He always likes to be touching Howon, hands on his biceps, knees, back. It can be kind of overwhelming, but in a good way, like a puppy. They’re kinda slobbery but they’re also pretty cute, so you forgive them.
“You know, you two are supposed to mistrust each other right now,” Joonmyun says from behind them.
“He forgot his line,” Howon accuses, and Inguk digs his fingers into his ribs.
“And he made a face,” Inguk retorts. On the other side of the car, Eunji has her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking helplessly with laughter.
Joonmyun stares at the two of them, his expression one of fond long suffering. “And that all matters, I’m sure,” he sighs. He fixes them with a pointed look until Inguk peels himself away, straightening his shoulders and clearing his throat. “Are you done?” he asks.
As ever, Howon is impressed at the speed with which Inguk composes his expression, going from grinning Inguk to serious, angst-ridden Wonil in a second. “I’m sorry,” he says, bowing. Howon mirrors the gesture, shooting Inguk a little look out of the corner of his eyes, and suddenly, they’re both grinning again.
“One more shot,” Joonmyun begs, taking his cap off to run a hand through his hair and then putting it on again. “Just give us one good shot. Then you can go.”
“You can count on us,” Howon tells him. They are professionals, after all. Eunji snorts.
“Alright,” the director says. “Places!” Inguk takes a step back, fixes his hand on the roof of the car again, and his face settles into a thoughtful mask once more. “And - action!”
Howon raises his chin and looks over at Inguk. This time, when Inguk turns to say his line, Howon still grins, and Joonmyun’s going to get them for needing yet another shot. But that’s okay, because the light in Inguk’s eyes, that’s all for Howon, and it always has been. He likes it that way.
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(Anonymous) 2013-12-21 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
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I'm basically going through everything you've ever written. That Jackbum fic made me love you. ALOT.
Next is Krisoo ^^
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