Perfect Harmony

It was as the new season of Extracurricular was airing that Trevor got notice that he had gotten the part for the dystopian trilogy. This would completely change the trajectory of his career, and came with a huge paycheck too. Plus, after reading the books, Trevor was excited to take on this part. It started off with his character coming off as someone who could very well be a villain, but the main female romantic lead would learn he was on her side before the climax of the first movie.

The first thing the studio did was hire a personal trainer to get Trevor to where he needed to be physically for the part. He had to add on muscle and bulk up more than he was, as well as grow a beard. His changing body and looks was commented on in interviews, but once it was announced he would be in the part, everyone knew why he was making the changes.

Those interviews sometimes had to include Paul, but the others were good about making sure he wasn't alone with Paul for it. And halfway through the season, nearing the end, Paul seemed to have found a new twinky victim he brought with him to some of the interviews. He was a younger actor, around twenty years old, by the name of Noah Carmen. Trevor felt a little bad for the guy, but he lost some of his sympathy when Noah was aggressive towards him behind the scenes.

Of course, Trevor knew why he was. Paul was making Trevor seem like competition, so the man wanted to mark his territory in front of Trevor. It didn't stop him from being annoyed with the guy though. Every time they had to be on a set together, Trevor did what he could to stay away from Paul, but that didn't seem to matter.

"The best twinks are so possessive," Paul commented once when they were in the waiting room to go out to the set.

Trevor let out a breath and shook his head. "If your goal is to make me jealous, it won't work. I'm seeing someone else, and I'm happy, Paul. I don't care what you get up to anymore. Go fuck all of Hollywood. Have fun with it."

Paul frowned at him. "I know you, Trev. You're the type that needs to be owned, possessed. You haven't even announced who this new relationship is, and you're about to travel for work. Let's see how that will work out for you."

Trevor didn't comment further. He got up, straightened his suit, and went to the doorway to wait for their call.

All the while, Trevor was seeing Alex regularly. Both of them were still working, with Alex working with other shows in the same warehouses, as well as the theater, and Trevor working out and going to interviews, as well as table reading for the new movie. All of their off time seemed to be together though, most of the time at Alex's place but sometimes they would retreat into the basement bedroom at Naomi's home. Trevor was still trying to find a place to buy a home, but he had been stalling because he wanted the place to work for Alex too but it felt too soon to ask him to move in.

The studio gave Trevor four months to get ready for the beginning of filming, which would happen in the Chicago area. His time was running out now, though. He was holding onto Alex in bed one night, his mind wandering to the idea of being away from him. "I have to leave in two weeks. Part of me wants to ask you to come with me, but I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't leave your jobs. Still, it's killing me to go."

Alex snuggled a little closer. "I'm not generally fond of long-distance relationships, but it isn't every day that you get the chance to date THE Trevor Lars, Gay Icon," he said in response.

Trevor snickered into Alex's ear. "Is that what they call me? So if I wasn't famous, would this be goodbye? I've never been so glad for the fame then," he teased.

Alex rolled his eyes, even though Trevor couldn't see it. "If you weren't famous, you would have gone on ghosting me for the rest of your life, so it's hard to separate our current circumstances from your career," he responded.

Trevor sighed and buried his face in Alex's neck. "That's not what I wanted. I thought about contacting you so many times. I kind of imagined that you would have gone on to college and fallen in love with someone and moved on with your life by now. Like...maybe I romanticized how much we meant to each other back then. Maybe it was easy to forget about me after some time and the hurt had worn off. Plus I felt like...choosing me would be risky for you. It might still be, honestly."

Alex knew that Trevor probably considered himself cursed or something, but the best way to get to the bottom of his fears was to confront them head-on. "How is that, exactly?" Alex asked in a friendly tone.

"Well, there's Paul for one, though he might put all of his focus into his new boyfriend soon, or so I hope," Trevor replied, using his fingers against Alex's back to count it out. "I travel for work, a ton. That whole wandering actor thing you were talking about, even if I return to your small theater for more shows. And I always worry that one day the medications may not work as well as before, or something will go wrong, and then I'd be putting your health at risk too, which is...unconscionable to me. Plus, who likes to think about their boyfriend selling his body as a teen?"

"Well, Paul isn't a special case. Everyone with empathy ends up in a relationship with one of his kind eventually. There are ways to deal with them. Long distance relationships suck more than they don't, but life changes fast and sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't. I'm not going to pass on potentially the greatest experience of my life over some discomfort, but I do refuse to be lonely while in a relationship. As far as medications ceasing to function or whatever, every sexual encounter with anyone is a health risk. It's a matter of doing what can be done to reduce risk to an acceptable level. Don't borrow trouble, Trev," Alex responded point for point.

Trevor let out a groan and hid his face again. "I'm trying not to. I'm usually not this neurotic or nervous in a relationship, I swear."

"Aww," Alex said sympathetically, "that's too bad, I was just starting to find it quirky and adorable."

Trevor chuckled and pulled Alex closer. "I mean, I can stay needy and clingy if you want."

"Nah, I'm good. A little clingy is fine, but I didn't sign on to raise you," Alex said while chuckling.

Trevor wrinkled his nose at that and sat up enough he could lean on his elbow and see Alex's face. "Nah, no raising here. Naomi did that for me, and I'm only ever doing it for babies with four paws."

"Good," Alex said, "then stop worrying about things that aren't an issue yet. I don't know how I'm going to handle the distance, but we are going to have to figure it out."

Trevor nodded, knowing that was true. He wanted to promise he wouldn't take parts like this going forward, but he also knew he couldn't promise that either. Two weeks seemed to fly by and soon enough Trevor was packed and ready to go. He lingered just a little longer than he meant to saying goodbye to Alex, but eventually he was boarded on the flight out to Chicago.

The first few days were a whirlwind of activity, while they tried on clothes to make sure they fit, altered what didn't, tested makeup, and did some test shots of photos as the characters. They also got a chance to really start to get to know each other better than they could when they were just doing the table readings.

Trevor got to meet their fighting choreographer and start working with him to get everything down, and Trevor was coming back to the hotel exhausted each night. That didn't stop him from doing video chats or phone calls with Alex, though, talking about what they had done and how they wished they could teleport to each other.

It was killing Trevor not to be there with him, but he tried not to put that on Alex, though he did tell him how much he missed him. Alex, meanwhile, was busy putting together the sets for the theater's next production and looking for his next stint as PropMaster or Set Boss with the studio. He had been considering moving out of the city, but that would mean the added expense of getting and maintaining a car and he wasn't sure he was ready for either that kind of responsibility or the temptation to just get in the car and drive to wherever Trevor was.

Once they got into filming, Trevor was working sometimes close to seventeen to nineteen hours a day. Alex could see how tired he was when they would talk some days, but even when Alex would tell him he should go to bed as soon as he got back to the hotel, Trevor would say he would be more productive if he had at least an hour of time with Alex.

The director of the community theater pulled Alex aside as they were rehearsing for the opening day of the latest production. "Alex, I've been offered a position at my alma mater as a drama director. I wanted to let you know that I'm taking the job and the board for the theater has decided not to continue producing shows. The viewership has been down since the pandemic and even with the influx of interest we got over Rent, they don't feel like they can keep the doors open without me here to keep things moving."

Alex just sat there for a while, staring at Bill in disbelief. He had not managed to pick up another gig at the studio and now he wasn't sure how he was going to keep up the exorbitant rent on his miniscule apartment. He mentioned it to Trevor that night when they talked, musing aloud that he supposed he had better start looking for something he could pursue part time or for as time to keep the lights on.

Trevor was troubled by all of it, especially the theater. He was more than a little upset that the board just gave up rather than trying to find someone else to spearhead keeping it open. He even called Rodney the next day to see what was going on with the studio, but all Rodney could tell him was that while the studio could make some decisions, a lot of directors choose their own teams.

"Though, as a lead actor, you have some sway there," Rodney pointed out. "You could speak to your director and find him something."

"I feel like Alex is a little too proud to take handouts from me," Trevor replied.

"Sometimes connections are the best ways to get jobs," Rodney commented. "I'll see what I can do on my end, but keep your eyes and ears open for something that is perfect for him."

For a little bit, Rodney would give him some odd jobs to do on the sets he was working on, but Trevor had an opening when one of their main Prop Designers collapsed on set. They took a break to get him EMS help and have him transferred to the hospital, but they couldn't stop work completely. Two days later, he had to put in notice that he had gotten a diagnosis from the doctor that meant taking time off all of his sets. Alex might end up angry at Trevor, but he took the chance to speak to the director to say their lead set designer of Extracurricular was looking for work and was amazing on set and with crews.

The director looked into his work and interviewed a few other people before he interviewed Alex. By the end of the next week, Alex had a job offer for all three movies and a slightly sheepish Trevor on video. "So," Alex said in a very disapproving tone, "You just couldn't help yourself? You had to meddle?"

Trevor bit his lower lip, trying not to let out the nervous laughter that was threatening to bubble up. "I'll admit, it's a problem. It's hard watching someone I...care about go through something without helping. You can always turn it down and apply to other jobs in the studio, of course."

Alex rolled his eyes, "Thank you so much for letting me know what I am permitted to do," he said acerbically.

"I mean, I'd hate for you to be unaware," Trevor joked and then looked down at the bed. "I'm sorry. It's a bad habit and I should break it, you're right. What I mean is that I can make some excuses as to why you can't take the offer so you don't look bad to the studio or director."

Alex seemed to think about it for a long time, letting the silence between them stretch on as he watched Trevor start to squirm uncomfortably. Finally, Alex's face broke from his deadpan expression as he shook his head. "It's impossible to be mad at you, you jerk. Especially if it means we can be closer to each other," he finally said with a smile.

Trevor perked up at that, like he couldn't quite believe his ears. "You'll take the job?"

"Well, it'll be career suicide if I don't. Nobody turns down a job that got arranged for them by THE Trevor Lars, Gay Icon," Alex said.

"You're never going to let go of that, are you?" Trevor laughed.

"Not as long as you're THE Trevor Lars, Gay Icon..." Alex intoned, adding special emphasis to the phrase such that Trevor could hear the capital letters.

"Oh, so as long as I have a career, got it," Trevor replied with another chuckle.

"So I was thinking of getting my driving license and maybe buying a van," Alex said, changing the subject.

"Oh really?" Trevor said, looking interested. "Not one of those white kidnapper vans, right?"

Alex made a face. "Not white, no, but definitely a 'Free Candy' van," he answered. "I've been looking into floor plans for building it into a tiny house on wheels, since I'll probably have to follow you around the country."

Trevor looked a little sheepish again. "I could quit movies and shows and stick to theaters or broadway. That's almost more competitive though. I never factored in a significant other when I went down this career path, I suppose..."

"No job that a human can do should require that they choose between work and having a life outside of work," Alex said.

Trevor couldn't argue with that, but he knew there were quite a few that existed, and this could be one of them. Of course, he had more access to money to travel back and forth, but it meant other people working to get him there. He was just glad that he had no interest in having kids, since it would make it easier to travel with a partner for jobs.

"And yet," Trevor eventually said. "This career only works with family and intimate relationships if you're okay being farther away or traveling with me."

Alex just nodded to that, his eyes unfocusing a bit as he mentally reviewed his floor plans to try to figure out which one would take the least amount of time to put together. "How long do I have to get there?" he asked distractedly.

"I told them you have the opening of your last show at the theater soon, and then they'll give you a week or two after that to wrap things up and travel out here. We have enough done and made for sets that we can film during that time so long as everyone chips in," Trevor explained. "Is that doable?"

Alex pondered that question, calculating in his head. "I think so. How long does it take to get a driving license?"

"For an adult? I think you can get it pretty quickly," Trevor said, and then seemed to realize something. "Wait, you drove me home in my car without a license?!"

Alex looked slightly sheepish, but defiant. "Someone had to! You weren't going to get any decent sleep in your trailer and you were in no shape to take the taxi service."

Trevor pursed his lips and gave Alex a steely look before he let out a laugh and shook his head. "Well, based on your driving then, you'll do fine. I have no doubt you'll get it easily."

Alex dismissed that with a wave, "What do you know? You were zonked out and high on Benadryl."

"I was not high! I was just drowsy," Trevor replied. "And anyway, I have faith in you."

Trevor was right too, as Alex managed to get his "driving" license pretty easily. The hard part was finding someone with a car in New York City and who was willing to loan it to Alex so he could both practice driving and use it for his test. He ordered a van online and had it delivered to his apartment. He had managed to downsize most of his possessions to what was absolutely necessary, which included his propmaking tools and some clothes, as well as the little trinkets Trevor had been giving him over the months. It was a matter of minutes to get the van loaded with what he was keeping.

He had been paying month-to-month on his apartment since the beginning of the production and as it wound to a close, he spent all of his time living in the van parked on the theater's property (with the permission of the owners, of course) and outfitting it as he found time away from packing away the sets and the props that still remained. He said goodbye to Bill and the theater when it was all done, and set the address Trevor had given him in his GPS.

The drive time to Chicago from where he was would take a bit over twelve hours, so he stopped to sleep when he was feeling tired and then got back on the road. He was really impressed with himself for the work he had accomplished on the van before leaving, what was still unfinished could be done either on the road or when he arrived. As it was, he was enjoying the freedom of not being tied to a particular address and the ability to sleep in a bed he had crafted himself.

He made good time and got to Chicago mid-morning, which gave him some time to meet with the people who would work under him, and for them to give him the tour and show him what they had set up right now, as well as what they needed to do. Alex was completely caught up and given the set lists to go over while they went into the studio to what they were currently doing.

The movie they were filming was set in a dystopian reality, with a very rigid structure. Trevor's part was a colonel in the military who was stationed in the city where the female protagonist was. After being attacked by one of the Captains, she learns of the rebellion going on, and finds out that Trevor's character, Alastair, is a spy for them.

When Alex stepped onto set, they were in what looked like a dungeon cell. Even having worked in the industry for years, it was still amazing how you could be transported to another world the moment you came onto a set. Trevor and another actor were there, both of them wearing dark colored military pants and black combat boots. The other man, an actor who was well known now by the name of Leander Martin, was in the entire military outfit, but they had Trevor shirtless and kneeling on the stone floor.

Alex had seen in video chats that they had cut Trevor's hair into a military style cut and had added low lights to it, but it looked far darker in person. It was a mix of brown and red, which made his eyes stand out. They were still that beautiful cinnamon color that Alex loved.

They had done makeup to make Trevor look pale and with open cuts all along his back. Since it was between scenes, one of the makeup artists was misting Trevor with water to make him look like he was sweating. His eyes lit up when he saw Alex following behind the person directly under him in the hierarchy.

Trevor and Alex weren't openly dating yet, and Trevor wasn't sure how out he was among his colleagues. Though they were dating, they hadn't announced it, and Trevor would never out them if Alex didn't want him to, so that was as much of a greeting as he gave Alex right then. He knew they would probably have to make it public eventually, but he had already told Alex that he wanted to only do that when Alex was comfortable with it.

Alex finished his tour of the set, making quick notes in his "pocket brain" for minor changes that would add realism to the design as he went. By the time he had seen everything he needed to see, they fetched up at the trailer that his office was situated in, which was shared with the crew break room. The entire set crew was gathered in the modestly sized break room, leaving standing room only.

Alex looked them over for a moment before speaking. "Hello, everyone, I'm Alex Hakim. I took over from Tia Hernandez on the set of Extracurricular when some creative differences caused her to move on. I've got a solid background in both prop making and set design, working as a crewmember myself until I was promoted to Tia's position. I've been Lead Set Designer at a small community theater in New York for about five years now, but that theater closed down recently so the owners could retire. Beyond my credentials, I tend to run with my hair on fire most of the time, but if you take care of me, I guarantee I will take care of you.