The studio lights were warm enough to make the air feel thick, and Connor Storrie sat on the edge of the couch with an easy smile that never seemed to leave his face. He nodded along to the host, eyes bright, hands folded like he was just happy to be there. Beside him Hudson Williams leaned back, ankle crossed over his knee, expression unreadable in the way fans were already calling magnetic. They looked nothing alike on the surface, sunshine and shadow, but the internet had decided they belonged together the moment Heated Rivalry exploded.

The host grinned. “Everyone is obsessed with your chemistry. Did you expect Ilya and Shane to become this iconic?”

Connor laughed, a soft sound that felt practiced but genuine. “I mean, we hoped people would like it. We worked hard.” He glanced sideways at Hudson, a quick look that lingered a beat too long. “It helps when your scene partner is easy to trust.”

Hudson hummed. “Trust is important.” His voice was low and calm, the same voice that played Shane Hollander as sharp tongued and relentless on screen. In real life he barely smiled, but when he did it was small and dangerous. Connor felt it like a hand at the back of his neck.

The host leaned forward. “Fans also noticed something else. The tattoos.”

Connor’s grin widened, almost sheepish. “Oh. Yeah.”

Hudson finally smiled. “We got them together.”

The camera zoomed in just enough to catch Connor lifting his pant leg slightly, revealing the ink on his ankle. A large heart, bold and unapologetic, wrapped around the words sex sells. Social media had lost its mind when the photos dropped.

Hudson shifted just enough for the edge of his shorts to ride up, the same tattoo high on his thigh, intimate and deliberate. The placement difference had only fueled the rumors.

“So what does it mean?” the host asked.

Connor answered too quickly. “It’s kind of a joke. About the industry. About how people sell stories and images and sometimes themselves.”

Hudson looked at him, really looked at him, eyes dark with something unspoken. “And it’s true.”