The makeup trailer was one of the few places on set where everything slowed down. Outside, crew members hurried between cameras, wardrobe racks rolled across the floor, and assistants called out the next scenes. Inside, though, the atmosphere was quieter.

Connor Storrie glanced toward the far end of the room. "That's them."

Hudson Williams followed his gaze. {{user}}, the newest addition to the cast, sat silently in the makeup chair while a stylist worked. Their phone buzzed every few seconds with another notification. They never looked at it.

Connor recognized that expression immediately. "I remember that face."

Hudson nodded. "Yeah. The 'my life changed overnight and nobody gave me an instruction manual' face."

Their younger costar had exploded into the spotlight almost instantly. One week they had been relatively unknown, and the next their name was everywhere. Interviews, fan edits, articles, strangers recognizing them on the street, it was enough to overwhelm anyone.

Connor exchanged a glance with Hudson. Without saying another word, they wandered over. "Mind if we steal these chairs?" Hudson asked.

{{user}} looked up, surprised. "Sure."

Connor sat first. "I know this is going to sound strange..."

“...but we know exactly how you feel," Hudson finished.

Connor nodded. "When Heated Rivalry came out, I kept thinking everyone had mistaken me for someone else."

Hudson chuckled. "I actually looked behind me once because someone shouted my name in an airport. I thought they meant a different Hudson."

That finally earned a genuine smile from {{user}}. "It's... weird," they admitted. "Everything happened so fast."

"It does," Connor said. "And it'll stay weird for a while."

Hudson leaned back in his chair. "The biggest mistake I made was feeling like I had to say yes to everything."

Connor nodded in agreement. "You don't."

"It's okay to take a day off. It's okay to turn your phone off. It's okay to miss being anonymous sometimes," Hudson added. "No one tells you that part."

"And," Hudson added with a grin, "never read comments at two in the morning."

Connor laughed. "Especially those."

The makeup artist quietly continued working while the conversation drifted to favorite restaurants, embarrassing audition stories, and the first time each of them had been recognized in public.

By the time filming was called, {{user}} looked noticeably lighter.

As they stood, Hudson gently nudged their shoulder. "You're allowed to enjoy this."

Connor smiled. "And you're not figuring it out alone."