ozone // commentary crew oneshots

backseat // james x alex

james fiddled with his tie for the third time in the short five minutes the pair had been in the sleek, black mercedes s-class. alex sat to his right, gazing out of the window at the vibrant lights of london in the early wintery evening.

the fourth time that james fiddled with his tie, alex turned to him and uttered the first words that they had exchanged all night. "you make it more crooked every time."

james glared at him and pulled the tie slightly more out of place — just for good measure — and watched as alex turned away again, frowning.

james broke the deafening silence after a few more minutes. "i heard that will and george are going to be there tonight. together."

"good for them," alex muttered.

"that could be us, you know."

"no, james, it fucking couldn't."

"and why's that?"

"i'm straight now."

"my dick in your mouth last night tells a different story."

alex spun and slammed a hand over james' mouth, before removing it hastily and wiping it on his perfectly ironed suit trousers. "not another fucking word," he said through gritted teeth. james rolled his eyes. it's not like the cabbie cared about what they said in the back of the car, they were c-listers at best.

james made suggestive gestures towards alex, his hand moving in time with his tongue in his mouth. alex's eyes cut into him like lasers. "what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"an accurate representation of you in my hotel room last night. i'll admit it would be more accurate if i was on the floor but given our current situation, that wasn't quite possible," james said smoothly.

"you shut up right now—"

"is everything alright in the back, gentlemen?" came the gushing irish accent of the cab driver.

"all fine, thank you," alex replied instantaneously.

"i saw your film. i think it should get the award for best drama, you know."

"does he think we're gonna tip him extra or something?" alex muttered under his breath.

james was more pleasant. "ah, i'm not sure about that. we're up against a lot of tough competition, but..." his voice faded.

they were also up against each other. he still remembers the second press day after the film was out in cinemas. after a long five hours of  interviews and smiling, their agent had told them they were both up for the bafta of best male lead. he remembers how they had glanced at each other and smirked. "you're gonna win," they'd said in unison.

the car went quiet once again. the sky that night was clear, even hinting at the possibility of a couple of stars emerging from their hibernating state and coming to illuminate the darkness. the peaks of the skyscrapers in central london brushed the atmosphere and encouraged the stars to peek out from their hiding.

"did you prepare anything?" alex mumbled. "for if you win, i mean."

"nah," james replied.

"bullshit."

"mother's." james held up his hands as alex lunged across the middle seat to rifle through the inside of his jacket pocket. his hand retrieved nothing, and he pulled back. "not really like the organised james marriott i know." alex looked james in the eyes for the first time. james, surprisingly, broke the contact first.

"i'll wing it if i have to, not that that's going to happen since i'm up against you. what did you put in your speech then? and don't try and play it off like you haven't written one," james added, seeing alex attempting to open his mouth in protest, "i saw you slip it in your pocket when you got in the car earlier."

"i—" he cleared his throat, before continuing carefully. "just thanking people... the usual bullshit."

"oh, really? who?"

alex knew what james was doing. he was playing the guilt trip game.

"just... ani, my parents... might add will and george... the directors and my agent."

"and i'm below all of them on that list?"

"james—"

"i'm not on that list... i knew it!" james chuckled to himself. "huh, i fucking knew it. not even a thank you? after everything? it's coming up on two years al, and all that means nothing to you?"

"i'm fucking straight."

"it's not gay to thank your mate, who might i add is your co-star in your film!"

"james, it's not like that."

"whatever it's like, i don't care."

alex waited a minute before speaking, choosing his words cautiously like a child deliberating over what treat they wanted at the sweet shop.

"it's not because i'm ashamed of what we did—"

"what we're doing," corrected james.

"but i'm straight now. i'm about to get into a relationship with ani. we can't do anything again. i'm not gay, or bi, or whatever."

"ok."

"ok? is that it?"

"well, alex, it doesn't seem like you're going to change your mind about your choice to be heterosexual, so i think i'd better just leave it there, hadn't i?"

"i'm sorry james."

"as long as you're fine with living a lie, then i am too."

the car pulled up to the kerb. alex glanced at james, then opened his car door.

"i think i'll skip the drinks," james said. "see you later."

alex slammed the door and entered the posh restaurant, straightening his tie. james thought it looked more crooked than before.

"are you not going to the drinks, lad?" came the cabbie's voice once again. he had a soothing tone, as though he could sense the tension still rife in the air of the car from the argument earlier.

"i thought it might be best not to." the cabbie nodded in response. the drivers always claimed they wouldn't listen to the conversations, but of course everyone knew they would.

james sat in the backseat of the car as the man pulled away back into the main lane of the road, and continued on to the theatre where the awards ceremony was being held. he pulled the incriminating slip of paper out of his trouser pocket.

as any of my friends will tell you, i hate to be disorganised, so i have this speech all written down, word for word on this sheet of paper. realistically i won't stick to it, but i didn't want to forget anyone off my list. so i'd like to thank my parents, for the support you've always given me over the years, my sister hannah for no reason other than if i missed her out she would be absolutely livid, the whole cast and crew who put up with my horrific sense of humour and for making this all possible, and alex. this is for you. i love you.

***

a/n: i imagined this so much better in my head so maybe i'll revise it or do a part 2 or smth but here's this for now i hope u enjoy i dont want to let u lot down more than i already have lol rip xx