Serendipity (A BossNoeul story)

Fan Service

*TEXT MSG*- received 11:32am: From TaoYu - Have you eaten yet, Puen?

*TEXT MSG*- sent 11:34am: To TaoYu - I just got out of the shower and I'm getting my stuff together now. Want to grab something to eat before we head in?

*TEXT MSG*- received 11:37am: From TaoYu - My mom made a breakfast for us today, want me to bring you a take away box? I can drive today so you can eat.

*TEXT MSG*- sent 11:44am: To TaoYu - Tell her I love her. Somehow she always knows what day I'll sleep late.

*TEXT MSG*- received 11:48am: From TaoYu - I'm walking out the door, I'll text when I arrive so come down.

Boss seemed better today. When Noeul reached the car he was his usual smiling self, teasing him with the door locks, the way he liked to do. He rolled the window down just enough to be heard. "Wanna dance for your dinner?"

"No," Noeul crossed his arms "not even a little bit."

"Ok, ok," Boss replied as he pressed the unlock button, the grin still on his lips. As soon as Noeul reached out for the door handle, he heard the familiar sound of the door latching again. Boss's chuckle came out like a bubble that finally burst.

"If you open the door I'll buy the coffee."

The door unlocked immediately, and Noeul climbed into the passenger seat. Boss, handing him the breakfast he had been promised.

"You're never gonna get tired of that chicken dance, are you?" Noeul teased his friend as he dug through the bag for something to satiate his hunger.

"If you weren't so cute when you did it, maybe I would." Boss said, reaching over to pinch Noeul's cheek as the other hand spun the steering wheel to aim for the parking lot exit.

After a stop at the drive-thru for a cold brew for Boss (Noeul would never understand his love of bitter dark coffee, maybe there was something wrong with his tastebuds) and a caramel macchiato for himself (the much more sensible option, he thought) they made it to the studio with little traffic. There was a press event they would be attending at 5pm and that meant about 2 hours of final fittings, makeup, and hair before the transport team arrived to get them to the location. Noeul was always interested in any fashion type event. He also knew how many influential people would be attending and that meant Boss would be overthinking.

His partner was absolutely an extrovert and always hyped up at fan events, but sometimes he did feel a bit of doubt at events where he wasn't sure if the people would like him. With fans, he always felt at ease, they were there to see him, and he was so grateful and humble about it that he always wanted to give them his best and all his energy. Private events were different, they always lead to him leaning on Noeul more, not just metaphorically. He would slip into a familiar set of poses for the camera and play up his character for confidence more than being himself, the way he was in front of fans. He smiled less and went for cool and sexy more. Noeul didn't mind of course, whatever made his friend comfortable was okay with him. Boss was always the same person for him when he needed the support, he just wished he would see in himself what Noeul did. He passed it off well enough to people who didn't know him well, Boss seemed easy and calm in front of a camera. But something had definitely changed in him at private events from the way he was at the beginning.

When the press conferences were quaint and the crowds were small he had been his usual goofy self that Noeul knew in private, but as they became more well known and more focused in media attention, Boss seemed to save that part of himself for the people who would appreciate him most and love him all the same for it, that fans. Noeul had had his own confidence issues. but they were more centered around his acting performances than being himself. That part was easy. It wasn't that he thought so highly of himself, it was just that he knew what kind of person he was, what he stood for, and what he wanted to say. There were many days while they were filming that Boss was his support and personal cheerleader, days when he needed someone to tell him he could do it- no matter how many times the acting coaches or directors gave him notes. Now he got to pay that back. So, if Boss wanted to be a bit more aloof and a bit more relaxed (on the outside), that was who Noeul would be for him.