The tension in the room was so thick it could've been sliced with a butter knife.
Jax leaned in slowly, watching Kai's every twitch like he was approaching a skittish cat.
Kai sat stiffly on the couch, his back straight, hands clenched tightly in his lap.
"Breathe," Jax said softly. "You're not getting a tooth pulled."
Kai exhaled a nervous laugh, but still didn't move.
Jax's hand came up, gently resting on Kai's cheek. "It's just me. No cameras, no crowd. Just you and me practicing."
Kai inhaled softly and nodded.
Then Jax pressed his lips to Kai's.
It was soft, gentle, exploratory.
Kai didn't kiss back at first, frozen in his nervous haze.
But Jax didn't rush him. He kept it tender, giving Kai the space to meet him halfway.
And he did.
Little by little, Kai relaxed. His hand moved up to Jax's shoulder. The kiss deepened, Jax slipped his tongue in and Kai accepted.
Then it became more than practice, more heat, less hesitation. When a quiet moan escaped from Kai, both their eyes snapped open and they came back to reality.
They pulled back instantly.
Silence.
Kai looked horrified. Jax blinked like he'd been hit with a light beam.
Then Jax grinned and said, "Well, we are definitely putting our all into this series."
Kai snorted, covering his face with his hands.
They both laughed, the awkwardness fading just enough to pretend nothing happened, even though something definitely had.
....
The next day on set, the crew whispered before filming started.
"I don't know, man," a camera operator murmured to the lighting guy. "The Director is nervous. Kai has never done a scene like this."
"Jax might carry it. He has done kissing scenes before," someone added. "But Kai? It might look like he's kissing his uncle goodbye."
The director approached the monitors looking tense. "Let's just get it over with and pray the editing team has a miracle filter."
The whispers stopped immediately as Jax and Kai walked in. There was no trace of nervousness to be found on Kai.
....
Jax leaned close to Kai before the cameras rolled.
"Just like yesterday," he whispered, lips barely moving. "Forget they're here."
Kai gave a tight nod.
"Action!"
.....
The scene began with Kai's character, weapon drawn, his eyes blazing with anger, confronting Jax's character.
"What was the plan? Use me to get to the vault?"
Jax's character stepped forward slowly, unarmed and unbothered.
"No. I was trying to get to you."
Before another word could be spoken, Jax yanked Kai in and kissed him.
And the world melted.
It was everything a kiss could be and more, raw, electric and intense. Their mouths moved in perfect sync, the kind of kiss that made people stop breathing. The entire set went silent, hypnotized.
"Cut!" the director finally shouted, but they didn't hear, they were lost in the kiss.
"Cut!" he yelled again, louder.
They pulled apart, breathless, eyes glazed over. There was a long nervous pause.
Jax turned to the director, lips still tingling. "Sorry, I didn't hear you."
The director just stared. "Don't be. That was the best kiss scene I have ever filmed, well done boys."
....
The internet was on fire.
The director had barely pressed send on his tweet.
"Watch out for the kissing scene when the series airs. JaxKai devoured it."
before it exploded.
Within minutes, #JaxKaiKiss, #FightForLove, and #TheyWeren'tActing were all trending worldwide. Fans dissected hot the kiss must have been to make the director make a post. Fan edits of the couple, slow mo gifs, and theories filled every corner of the internet.
Jax muted his notifications while Kai turned his phone off.
....
A few days later, the trio had a lunch date.
They met at their usual restaurant, Eli was already waiting when Jax and Kai arrived together.
"Wow. You two are so inseparable these days," Eli teased, raising a brow as they slid into the booth across from him.
Kai smirked. "We're just giving the people what they want."
Eli leaned in, grinning. "So, how was it? The kiss, I mean. Social media says y'all devoured. Your director even made a post."
Jax nearly choked on his water. Kai blushed but laughed it off. "It was professional."
"Uh-huh. Sure," Eli said, unimpressed.
Throughout lunch, Jax and Kai kept exchanging little glances, silent giggles, and tiny smirks at things only they understood. They were so in sync with each other.
Eli watched them, a small smile on his lips. But deep down, he felt it, that subtle pang of being on the outside of an inside joke. He stirred his drink and said nothing.
...
Later that week, on set.
The director clapped his hands dramatically.
"Okay lovebirds, next scene is the bed scene."
Jax blinked. "Like, bed...bed?"
"Yes, intimate, heavy emotional stuff," the director said with a wink. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. You two talk it over, decide how intense you're willing to go. The chemistry is already there, we just need clarity on how far you want to go."
Jax and Kai shared a look.
That kind of look.
The kind that said this is dangerous, but also yeah, let's talk about it.
The crew moved away. The set cleared.
And Jax exhaled slowly. "Wanna come over later to plan?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. We need privacy for this one."
Jax didn't say it aloud, but the truth lingered in the air.
This wasn't just a normal scene for them. It hadn't been for a while not since that kiss.