Work Text:
It’s not the most fashionable place to travel these days, with most Chinese tourists going to Prague if they go anywhere in the Czech Republic, but that’s part of why they picked it. It’s nice to be anonymous for a while—or at least as anonymous as they can be with fans all over the world. That’s easier now than it used to be, anyway, since the kinds of fans who follow men in their late thirties are different from the kinds who follow men in their late twenties, regularly filming romance dramas. There are still boundary pushers, but overall, they’re more willing to keep a polite distance.
In any case, no one pays attention to them as they walk into the pub by their hotel (established 1529, the placard out front brags), not even when Zhehan pulls out his camera after they get their drinks and order food. “Are you ready?” he asks.
“As I’ll ever be.” Gong Jun looks nervous in a way that has nothing to do with being on camera, which he’s more than used to, and everything to do with the plans they have for this video, once their travels are over. Zhehan feels a little bad, but it’s not like he pushed his husband into this. They both agreed that it was time, after all these years, for him to be in front of Zhehan’s camera.
“You’ll be great. The hottest guy I’ve ever filmed.” That makes Gong Jun laugh, which is exactly what Zhehan wanted.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Gong Jun sits up straighter and puts on his camera-ready smile. “Let’s do it.”
“Three, two, one, action.”
“Hello, everyone. Today, I’m in a city called Brno in the Czech Republic. I tried to say that the Czech way, but it sure isn’t easy.” Gong Jun looks more relaxed now, smiling naturally, and that much more so when Zhehan reflexively grins back at him. “From today, we’re going to be traveling around for just under a week, heading south toward the Austrian border.” He was supposed to say “I,” but Zhehan doesn’t correct him. It’ll be obvious that Gong Jun isn’t holding the camera, so he can’t be traveling alone. Besides, he likes his travelogues to be natural, not overly scripted, even if that means the occasional stumble.
“As for tonight,” he continues, “I’m going to enjoy this dark beer, and for dinner, there’s something called bread dumplings with beef goulash. I’m very curious to see how it all tastes.” Gong Jun lifts his glass, raising it to the camera, and then takes a drink. Zhehan wouldn’t do anything as tacky as zoom in on the wedding ring he flashes in the process, but it’s there for viewers to notice and he’s sure some will. “Mm, that’s good. It’s kind of…nutty? I’m not much of a food and drink reviewer, but it’s definitely worth trying.”
Gong Jun sets the glass down, continues smiling for a few more seconds, and then says, “That’s all I’ve got. Anything else you want?”
“No, just sit there looking pretty until the food comes.”
“Now I’m pretty instead of hot?” Gong Jun relaxes entirely as Zhehan turns the camera away from him, filming their surroundings. They’re early enough that it’s not too busy, but he expects it’ll get there before they leave, so it’s best to get the footage now.
“Cute, even,” Zhehan teases.
“I’m way too old to be cute now.”
“Hey, who are you calling old?” They both laugh, and Zhehan is glad that his editors know to expect this from his filming with Gong Jun. He’s even extracted promises from them to clip the good stuff for him, so it doesn’t go to waste.
He films the waitress bringing their food and Gong Jun enthusiastically digging into his meat and dumplings. (“Carbs don’t count when you’re traveling,” Zhehan told him when he expressed worries about drama filming right after this, “and no one will see your abs when you’re all wrapped up in robes.”) Zhehan likes to see him excited, and he hopes—no, he knows his viewers will too, even the many that haven’t been with him since Shan He Ling or before and may not have any particular affection for Gong Jun as a result.
Once Zhehan judges that he has sufficient footage, he stops the camera and eats his own food. It’s not bad, though it could really use some spice, not just paprika. The beer he likes better, and the company that much more. “Here.” He holds up his glass, and Gong Jun hurries to grab his and clink it with Zhehan’s. “Cheers. To our exciting new collaboration.” Zhehan smiles a little wistfully. “Pretty different from the first one.”
Gong Jun’s smile reflects those same feelings, but it’s more fond than anything else. “I don’t know. I seem to remember something about traveling the world with one’s soulmate. And we’ll see some mountains and rivers, right?”
Any more complicated feelings melt away under the force of Gong Jun’s affection and Zhehan’s excitement to be traveling with him. “You make a very good point.”
🏔
Zhehan has done his research, and he’s bound and determined to see as many of the sights as they can in their two full days in Brno. To that end, they start off bright and early in front of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, the towers rising dramatically behind Gong Jun as Zhehan figures out how to get as much of them in the frame as possible without filming at a terribly unflattering angle. Once he’s reasonably satisfied, he starts filming, and Gong Jun gamely narrates some background information on the church.
Gong Jun is good at remembering lines, but he’s more awkward today, perhaps because they’re out in public, with commuters on their way to work giving them curious looks. Zhehan lets him try for a while, but it’s just not good enough and he decides to cut the camera. “Wait, wait.” He gestures for Gong Jun to stop talking, and his face falls into a pout.
“Did I forget something?”
“No, you were fine on that.” Zhehan walks over and puts his hand on Gong Jun’s shoulder, smiling reassuringly. “You’re just a little stiff. We want it to feel like you’re the viewers’ friend. Forget that you’re on camera and pretend that you’re talking to me.”
“If I was talking to you, I’d be saying very different things,” Gong Jun says dryly.
“Would you now?” Zhehan smirks, and Gong Jun squirms in embarrassment, pulling away from him.
“I didn’t mean that!” he protests, but he’s laughing.
“I’m just saying, you don’t have to flirt with the camera, but don’t overthink it. I’ve seen a million of your commercials. I know you can do it.”
“I can, it’s just…” Gong Jun looks down, biting his lip. “It’s for you, and it’s important.”
Zhehan knows what he means. Whether Gong Jun openly flirts with the camera or not, once Zhehan shares this, people will see both their names in the credits and notice the ring on Gong Jun’s finger and they’ll understand what it means. They’ll understand that the rumors were true this whole time. That makes it feel more important to give a good impression, even if their relationship isn’t the subject of this travelogue. There have been awful rumors too, over the years, and they want people to understand that it’s as simple as them being in love, no more or less.
“Like I said, don’t overthink it.” Zhehan takes Gong Jun’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “Have some faith in my ability to make you look good, and there’s no point in worrying about the rest of it now.”
“Okay.” With a determined smile and an adorable little fist bump, Gong Jun stands up straighter. “I trust you, Zhang-laoshi. Let’s do it.”
🏔
They check off everything on Zhehan’s list the first day, with time even to stop for (artfully filmed, if he can say so himself) cake in a cafe that came highly recommended. The second day, however, they get lost twice and find themselves booking it uphill in the late afternoon to get to Špilberk Castle with time to film before it closes. It’s an unseasonably warm spring day and Zhehan is sweating, but thankfully, he doesn’t have to look nice on camera.
Gong Jun tolerates heat better and he has longer legs and no bum knees, so there’s no reason for him to whine, “Da-ge, slow down. You can’t film anything if I die before we get there.”
“I believe in you!” Zhehan calls back, earning an exasperated, breathless laugh from Gong Jun.
It’s quiet when they make it up, leaving them their choice of spots to film overlooking the city. Gong Jun is still a little out of breath by the time Zhehan makes his choice, just enough for that plus the light flush on his cheeks to make him unfairly and distractingly hot. “Come here.” Zhehan waves him over.
Gong Jun does as he’s told. “Am I that much of a mess?”
“Terrible,” Zhehan answers, deadpan. He rearranges Gong Jun’s (perfectly presentable) hair a little before, with a quick glance around to make sure that they’re still alone, leaning in for a kiss. Gong Jun tenses, but when Zhehan’s hand brushes gently down the side of his face and cups his jaw, he gives in, letting Zhehan have his way. There’s a thrill to kissing out in public like this, where anyone could see them (though he doubts anyone will), and to indulging his impulses instead of always having to hold back.
All the same, they have work to do, so Zhehan reluctantly pulls away after not nearly as long as he’d like. “There.” Smiling, he pats Gong Jun’s cheek and then taps a finger on his lips. “Much better.”
Gong Jun rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling too as he moves back to his earlier position. “Is that what you made me run for?”
“Maybe.” Zhehan grins. “Okay, let’s get going.” It’s not really appropriate, as Gong Jun talks about this place being used as a military fortress and often a prison, to think about how it would be nice if they’d been able to kiss longer so people watching this might notice Gong Jun’s lips being suspiciously swollen, but the thought does linger in the back of Zhehan’s mind. He’ll have to make up for it tonight; for all that this is work, they’re also treating it like a second honeymoon and he’s going to enjoy that aspect.
When Gong Jun finishes his speech, he waits until Zhehan puts the camera down, at which point his professional smile falls off his face, replaced by amused suspicion. “What were you looking at me like that for?” Zhehan waggles his eyebrows and Gong Jun laughs loudly. “No fair when I’m trying to be serious. Save the flirting for when I’m off camera. Or at least that kind of flirting.”
“Fine, if you insist,” Zhehan says with a melodramatic sigh. He closes the distance between them and gives Gong Jun one more lingering kiss. “Come on. Let’s see if we have time to see the prison.”
“Okay,” Gong Jun agrees, “but really no flirting in there.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
🏔
The next morning, they get up early and catch a bus, thankfully without getting lost. Zhehan films Gong Jun sitting by the window, stumbling a little over the name of their destination, a town called Mikulov na Moravě near the Austrian border, known for its wine and surrounded by natural beauty that they hope to take advantage of. When that’s done, they switch seats and he films out the window for a while before deciding he has enough footage and can put away his camera. He leans back against Gong Jun’s side, looking out the window, and Gong Jun shifts to wrap an arm around his back, as though they’re alone. (The bus is barely half full, so they do have some privacy.)
“Did you hear anything about the new film?” Gong Jun asks.
Xiaoyu oversaw the online release of the last short film Zhehan directed, a brief but, he thinks, compelling love story. It went up yesterday afternoon in their current timezone, but Zhehan didn’t do more than check his messages to see that Xiaoyu hadn’t forgotten; he no longer anxiously waits for reactions the way he did when he made his directorial debut with no idea how it would be received, both in terms of his directing abilities and how people would react to him putting his name out there again.
“Let me check. Xiaoyu sent me a bunch of comments while we were sleeping but I didn’t read them yet.”
“I’m sure everyone loved it. It was really touching.”
“You like everything I make,” Zhehan points out, but he snuggles into Gong Jun’s side, appreciating the compliment all the same.
“Only because it’s good,” Gong Jun earnestly insists.
“It is, isn’t it?” Zhehan says, then laughs. “Here.” He holds up his phone so they can both look as he scrolls through Xiaoyu’s messages, a curated sample of viewer comments. The enthusiasm in them makes Zhehan smile, but they read in silence until he stops on one that says, It really makes me believe in love, which I think was exactly the point. Xiaoyu included the username on that one, which manages to work in orange and gardenia and an ambiguous 11. “Some things never change, huh?”
“I guess that’s one fan who’ll like what we’re filming here,” Gong Jun says.
“You think it’ll make her believe in love too?” He’s half joking, but at the same time, Zhehan does want people to watch this and understand, however indirect the message, that he loves Gong Jun—that they love each other. He thinks it will shine through in the way he films Gong Jun, and the way Gong Jun looks at the camera and therefore at him.
Gong Jun smiles down at him, so bright up close. “It just might.”
🏔
After leaving their bags at their hotel and walking around to the various sights in the town of Mikulov (a much more manageable endeavor than in a big city like Brno), they head for their final destination, a hill at the edge of town. “You’re not going to make me run up this one, are you?” Gong Jun asks, eyeing Zhehan skeptically.
Zhehan bats his eyes, the picture of innocence. “Would I do that?” Then he laughs, and Gong Jun smiles ruefully. “Besides, we have plenty of time, and I want to film the way up, so you have to look nice.”
“You seemed to think I looked nice after running up that other hill,” Gong Jun points out, and Zhehan laughs again.
“Be careful. You might give me some ideas.” For all his teasing, Zhehan is a professional and he does what he intended, filming their leisurely trek up the narrow trail. Today is cooler and overcast, not ideal for filming but very pleasant for walking. Gong Jun walks in front, looking around curiously and pointing out the castle in the town below them and whatever else Zhehan tells him to draw attention to.
Up at the top, Gong Jun gives his practiced speech in front of the small chapel. “Here we are at the top of this hill called Svatý Kopeček, which means Holy Hill.” He glares cutely at Zhehan for just a moment when he fumbles the Czech name, as if to say, Why are you making me do this? “Behind me is the Chapel of St. Sebastian.” He narrates a few facts about the chapel, then gestures toward the town. “You can see the town of Mikulov below us. There’s also a lovely view of the surrounding area, and if you look in that direction, you can see to the Austrian border only a few kilometers to the south.”
With that done, Gong Jun looks around, his eyes sparkling, at the greenery spread out beneath them, a mix of farmland and fields and trees, dotted with lakes. “It’s beautiful up here,” he comments, unscripted.
“It is,” Zhehan agrees, though he’s as captivated by Gong Jun’s enthusiasm as the view. Leaving the camera running, he asks, “And you know what’s even more beautiful?” Gong Jun turns to look at him, and Zhehan grins. “Me.”
Just as Zhehan expected, Gong Jun throws his head back laughing. Then, shaking his head, his eyes still sparkling in a different but very familiar sort of way, he says, “You’re right. You are.” None of this will make the cut, but Zhehan makes a mental note to save every second of it for himself. “Are you still filming?”
“Yeah, I need to get some more shots of the view. And I wanted to get your reaction to that.” Gong Jun rolls his eyes, smiling fondly. “I’ll turn it off for a bit, though.” He does that and walks over to Gong Jun’s side so they can admire the scenery together. “I thought it would look kind of sad with the clouds, but it’s still really nice.”
“It is.” Gong Jun isn’t even looking at the view now, smiling at Zhehan. “You really are beautiful,” he blurts out, and as much as he joked about that earlier—and as much as neither of them is shy with compliments—the words and the look in his eyes still make Zhehan’s heart stutter.
He takes Gong Jun’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I’m glad we’re here together.”
Now Gong Jun turns back to the scenery. “Me too.”
🏔
It’s gloomy and drizzling when they wake up the next morning, but the rain stops before they even finish breakfast and a hint of sun peeks through the clouds as they head out to explore the surrounding area. Gong Jun gives a brief introduction to the Pálava Protected Landscape Area, and then they’re on their way, walking along while Zhehan films intermittently, enjoying the mix of natural beauty and history in the form of castle ruins. They pass a few people here and there, but it’s pretty quiet on this weekday morning.
As they continue on their way, the grey weather gives way to a perfect spring day, mostly sunny without being too hot. This is supposed to be about the scenery, so Zhehan does his best to film it, but he keeps getting distracted wanting to zoom in on Gong Jun and forget the rest. His husband looks great, of course, and Zhehan knows all his best angles, but he also looks happy, and relaxed in a way he rarely is at home, not when they go out and have to worry about who will see them and what they’ll think. Here, even with the camera on him and a job to do, his smile is bright and his eyes are sparkling and it makes Zhehan happy too, to see him like this and to be here together.
The sun is high in the sky when they stop by a lake to eat their picnic lunch and rest for a while. Zhehan turns off the camera to eat but turns it back on to film Gong Jun wading into the lake, his pants rolled up to his knees. “It’s cold!” he protests when Zhehan urges him further in, but he obediently makes his way to a rock a little way into the lake and sits on it while he cheerfully praises this area as a vacation destination.
“You’re lucky you’re holding a camera so I can’t splash you,” he says when he comes back.
“We can fix that,” Zhehan offers, grinning. He’s warm now in the sun, and a splash fight with no one around to judge them for it sounds like a great time. He puts the camera and his phone safely out of the way and waits for Gong Jun to add his electronics to the pile, then smirks. “You’re going to regret suggesting this.” To make his point, he wrestles Gong Jun back into the lake, nearly knocking them both over into the water.
“Hey!” Gong Jun laughingly wrenches himself out of Zhehan’s grip, dipping his hands into the water and splashing Zhehan in the face.
“How dare you!” Zhehan barks like he didn’t volunteer for this himself, splashing back vigorously with both hands.
“You started it!” Gong Jun counters. They’re both laughing and spluttering like they’re children instead of grown men pushing forty and Zhehan can’t remember the last time he had quite this much fun.
By the time they stop, they’re both soaked, and Gong Jun frowns sheepishly as he looks Zhehan up and down. “I guess we’ll have to wait until we dry off to film more. You’ll drip on your camera, and I…” He gestures at his body, as though Zhehan hasn’t noticed the way his shirt and pants are clinging to him.
“I don’t know.” Zhehan pointedly looks him up and down. “I think a lot of people would appreciate the visual. I sure would.”
“Are you sure you want to show me off to everyone?” Gong Jun asks.
“Good point.” Zhehan goes in for a kiss, resting his hand on Gong Jun’s abs and murmuring, “You’re all mine,” against his lips.
When he pulls away, Gong Jun looks a little like he wants to jump him right here, but mostly his expression is soft and affectionate, a thoughtful smile playing over his lips. “We should do this more often.”
“What, have splash fights?”
“Travel together. Go places where no one knows us, or where no one else is around at all. Just forget about work and everything for a while.”
His words make Zhehan smile and feel sad at the same time, aware that it’s not easy for them to find this kind of freedom, and it won’t get any easier once this travelogue is shared and people know to look for them traveling together. “We are technically both working,” he says to distract himself from those thoughts.
“Oh, you know what I mean,” Gong Jun grumbles.
“I do.” Zhehan smiles back at him. “We’ll make it happen again. Even if we have to go to Antarctica where only the penguins will see us.”
Gong Jun laughs, but his expression is still so fond. “Anywhere you want.”
🏔
The next day dawns unremarkably except that it’s ten years to the day from when they started filming what was then called Tian Ya Ke, with no idea where it would take them. When they planned this trip, they decided that they would mostly take today off to relax and celebrate. It’s not their anniversary, but it’s an important anniversary for them all the same, the beginning of the show that brought them to each other and changed their lives in so many ways.
They get off to a good start, lingering in bed in a way they all too rarely have a chance to do, until an alarm goes off on Gong Jun’s phone and he says, “Oh, wait, I need to post something.”
“I can’t believe it’s 2030 and you still do your kadian manually,” Zhehan grumbles half-heartedly.
“I didn’t want to risk it getting messed up with the timezone change!” Gong Jun protests.
“Sure, sure.” Zhehan plasters himself to Gong Jun’s bare back as he sits up to prepare his post, hooking his chin over Gong Jun’s shoulder so he can see his phone. It’s a promo for Gong Jun’s currently airing drama, which they managed to sneak this week of travel in the middle of. “Looking good,” he comments.
“Yeah?” Gong Jun absently responds as he types in his caption.
“Always.” There was a time when Gong Jun was wary of rubbing it in Zhehan’s face when he was promoting dramas, and Zhehan appreciated that some days, when the reminder of what he’d lost was too painful, though he never begrudged his husband his success. But now that Zhehan has found success on a different path, he’s let go of any lingering bitterness. They’re each happy with their own work and supporting each other like they always have, and that is as it should be.
The clock changes to eleven after the hour and Gong Jun hits post. “I should have known you were aiming for my birthday,” Zhehan says. “Is it 5:00 back home?” He plants a kiss on the side of Gong Jun’s neck, hoping to distract him now that he’s done.
“Yeah, 5:00 p.m.” Gong Jun sets his phone down and Zhehan moves around to sit in his lap instead.
“No more distractions?” he asks, resting his hands on Gong Jun’s shoulders.
“I promise.” Gong Jun pulls him in for a kiss, and they forget about everything else for a while longer.
🏔
They do emerge from the hotel eventually, drawn out by music coming from the nearby town square. Zhehan doesn’t quite get why there’s live music happening, but he does overhear a man telling his kids in English that it’s traditional music from this region, with strings and some kind of percussion instrument he doesn’t catch the name of. He films it for a while, including shots of Gong Jun happily tapping his foot along with the music.
The music is still going when they sit down in a nearby restaurant for dinner, which is both an anniversary celebration and a chance to get a bit more footage. Zhehan orders them wine since that’s what this area is known for, and Gong Jun cheerfully tells the camera how cheap and good it is. He’s enthusiastic, and Zhehan bites back a laugh at how he unconsciously bounces along with the music when he stops talking.
Once their food comes (pasta involving a lot more vegetables than anything they ate in Brno), Zhehan says, “Tell me a bit about what you think of Mikulov, and this whole area.”
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here. It’s small and quiet—when there’s no music in the town square—but there’s some interesting history in town and it’s a relaxing place to visit, with good food and drink. It would be a great destination for a honeymoon, or to travel with a group of friends who enjoy outdoor activities.”
He smiles in the direction of the camera, but Zhehan knows that smile is really directed at him by the softness in Gong Jun’s eyes. “It’s a great place to come with my husband” is what he really means, and Zhehan can agree with that. He smiles back, and Gong Jun practically sparkles with happiness. He can only imagine what viewers will think if this makes it into the final cut, but he doesn’t care if they can see that Gong Jun is in love, and judging by the way his gaze lingers on Zhehan with no attempt to tone it down, Gong Jun doesn’t either.
Satisfied with what he has, Zhehan turns the camera off so this will be only for them. “I love you,” he says without preamble.
That startles Gong Jun briefly, but then he goes back to smiling. “Why all of a sudden?”
“I could see you were thinking it.”
Now Gong Jun laughs. “Was it that obvious?” Without waiting for an answer, he says, “I love you too.” Then, “Did you get enough footage?”
Zhehan sets his camera aside. “It’ll do. I have other important things to do like celebrate my anniversary with my husband.”
“It’s not our anniversary,” Gong Jun reminds him, though he clearly doesn’t mind.
“It’s not our anniversary of getting together or getting married, but it’s still ours,” Zhehan argues.
“I guess it is.” Gong Jun smiles. “Thank you, for making this trip happen.”
“Thank you for being my unpaid travelogue host,” Zhehan counters.
Gong Jun giggles at that, but he follows up seriously, “You know I’d do anything for you.”
Zhehan’s impulse is to make a joke, but he can’t, not with Gong Jun looking at him like that again and obviously meaning every word. He suddenly finds himself blinking back tears, and that reminds him of another anniversary, when he promised on camera and in front of thousands of fans that he would always be there for Gong Jun. He’s so proud, and so happy, that they’ve managed to carry that through to today.
“Don’t cry,” Gong Jun whines. “Then I’ll cry and we won’t even get to enjoy our food.”
Zhehan laughs at that. “I’ll try.” He reaches across the table to take Gong Jun’s hand as he bumps their legs together under the table. “I love you. Let’s keep this up for another ten years.”
“And more.” Gong Jun nods, blinking back tears of his own. “I love you too.”
🏔
Once they go home, everything returns to normal. Gong Jun comes and goes for work, then goes for a longer time to film his next drama, while Zhehan buckles down to his own work of preparing the travelogue and planning for his next project, a longer movie this time. It’s not as nice as traveling together, spending their days and nights side by side, but it’s what they’re used to and what’s necessary for them to do the work they love.
Zhehan has just returned home from visiting Gong Jun when the rough cut of their travelogue is ready, but he insists on watching it together online, making unnecessary (depending on who you ask) flowery commentary on just how good Gong Jun looks in it. “Are you going to put that in as a voiceover?” Gong Jun asks after his fifth or sixth “Waah, Junjun! So cool! So handsome! So sexy!”
“Only in the special version for you,” Zhehan teases. “And it won’t be that kind of fangirl screaming.” He switches to a low bedroom sort of voice. “So handsome. So sexy.”
“Da-ge, don’t do that to me,” Gong Jun whines, and they both laugh.
It’s a while longer until the final cut is ready, and then they wait for Gong Jun’s drama to wrap, but at last, the planned (surprise) release date rolls around. Zhehan was only joking about a special version, but before posting, he does sit Gong Jun down in front of the TV and say, “I want to show you something first.”
“I already watched the whole thing, you know, unless you added something to it.”
Zhehan shakes his head. “It’s not that. This is something different, just for us.”
Gong Jun eyes him curiously and just a little bit warily, like he’s waiting for a punchline despite Zhehan appearing serious. “Okay.”
Zhehan pulls up the file his editors sent him, carefully set aside in a separate folder, and opens it to Gong Jun in crisp quality on the big screen, sitting in the pub on the first night of their trip. “No, just sit there looking pretty until the food comes,” comes Zhehan’s voice out of the speakers.
Gong Jun on the screen smiles and Gong Jun sitting beside Zhehan laughs and bumps him with his shoulder. “Did you get a special cut of all our flirting?”
“Not just flirting!” Zhehan protests. “There’s also some times when you were particularly hot or cute.”
“I hope you gave your editors a nice bonus for that,” Gong Jun says dryly. Despite his joking, he keeps his eyes on the screen, a smile on his face. Zhehan leans into his side, holding onto Gong Jun’s arm as they watch.
Some of it is silly, like both of them laughing (Zhehan extra loud next to the camera) when Gong Jun bungled his lines badly enough that they had to start over, or when he tripped over a rock going up the hill in Mikulov. There’s the video Zhehan took, knowing it could never be used, of an attractively wet Gong Jun after their splashing in the lake, plus the jumbled footage from when Gong Jun stole the camera right after and the few seconds he managed to film of Zhehan before he got the camera back.
There’s Zhehan praising himself as being even more beautiful than the view, which makes them both laugh again now, but also the next day, when Gong Jun looked so beautiful in the sunlight that Zhehan couldn’t resist telling him, camera or no camera, followed by a bunch of shots of Gong Jun looking good that Zhehan specially requested. “Do you really need all of this?” Gong Jun mutters, embarrassed.
Zhehan leans his head onto Gong Jun’s shoulder. “Every second of it.”
The roll ends with their anniversary dinner. First, they get Gong Jun on screen saying, “I’ve really enjoyed my time here. It would be a great destination for a honeymoon.” Then, there’s Gong Jun smiling right at Zhehan, heedless of the camera, like he was just so thrilled to be there with him. The video lingers on a still shot of that smile and then fades to black.
“Did you like it?” Zhehan asks without lifting his head.
“I wish there was more of you,” Gong Jun says quietly. Then, as though not wanting to bring down the mood, he quickly adds, “But it was cute, even if you didn’t need to include me embarrassing myself. The end was nice.”
“It was.” Zhehan turns to Gong Jun, who smiles at him a lot like he did at the end of the video. “Next time, we’ll get someone to film both of us.” He laughs. “They’ll be totally sick of us by the end, but I bet there’ll be an audience for it, and we can get another special version for ourselves.”
“Sounds good.” A hint of nervousness sneaks into Gong Jun’s expression and Zhehan can guess that he’s thinking about what’s coming next, about how people will react to the travelogue, what they’ll think when they see that same fond smile above both their names as the credits start to roll.
“Are you ready to show the world what we made together?”
“Well, when you put it that way…” Gong Jun’s smile turns wry, then soft again. “We’ve waited a long time for this, having our names appear together again.”
“And letting people know that we never stopped being together,” Zhehan adds. Putting it that way makes his heart start to pound with nerves and anticipation, but he knows he’s ready for this. “Come on.” He gets to his feet and pulls Gong Jun up after him, feeling Gong Jun’s wedding ring against his fingers.
Gong Jun still looks nervous when he leans in for a kiss, but he’s smiling when he pulls away. “Let’s do it.”