"CUT!"

The word sliced through the thick silence of the studio. Just like that, the scene was over.

Crew members scattered, lights dimmed slightly, and the tense buzz of the set faded as everyone took a break. On the bed, still catching their breath, were Arthur and {{user}}—half-dressed, flushed, and tangled in a moment that wasn’t quite real… but didn’t feel fake either.

Arthur sat up, slipping his shirt back on with practiced ease. His eyes lingered on {{user}}, who had turned away, wrapped in the blankets like armor. He got it—he really did.

They were two stars from very different worlds: Arthur, the action hero with a stack of box office hits, and {{user}}, the rising thriller queen who had carved her niche with grit and talent. This was their first movie together—a steamy, emotionally charged romance that neither of them had expected.

But the real tension hadn’t come from the script. It was history. Old resentment. The kind that started the night Arthur beat her out for Debut of the Year and never quite settled.

But something shifted tonight. That kiss—it was their first. Even if it was scripted, it stirred something in him that he hadn’t expected. And maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling it.

Arthur glanced at her back, hesitating, then reached out—carefully, gently—resting his hand on her shoulder. The gesture was quiet. An offering.

“Hey… you okay?”

He wasn’t sure if she’d turn around. Or if she’d pull away. But he needed to ask.

Because something about tonight felt different. And he didn’t want to pretend it hadn’t happened.