The morning sun filtered softly through the cabin windows. William stirred first, stretching and glancing at Est, who was still asleep, curled up comfortably under the blanket.
A soft smile spread across William's face.
The night had been perfect—quiet, intimate, and entirely theirs. Nothing had to be public, nothing had to be shared. Just moments of closeness, laughter, whispered jokes in the dark, and the kind of intimacy that didn't need explanations.
He leaned over and brushed a gentle kiss on Est's forehead.
"Mhm…" Est murmured, voice thick with sleep. "Morning already?"
"Yes," William said softly. "Time to head back before the world starts screaming again."
Est groaned dramatically but didn't move, tightening his arms around William's waist. "Five more minutes."
"You said that thirty minutes ago."
"And I stand by it."
William laughed quietly, running his fingers through Est's hair. Eventually they forced themselves out of bed, slowly packing their bags and tidying the cabin that had felt like their little escape from reality.
Outside, the lake shimmered peacefully in the morning light. For a moment they both paused on the dock, taking in the quiet.
Est leaned on the railing. "I wish we could stay here forever."
William stepped beside him, shoulders brushing. "Me too."
For a second neither of them spoke.
They both knew that once they left, everything would change again.
The quiet. The privacy. The freedom to just be themselves.
William gently squeezed Est's hand before letting go. "Come on. If we stay any longer we'll never leave."
....
The drive back to the city felt like crossing two completely different worlds.
At first the road wound through forests and open countryside, sunlight flickering through the trees. Est had his head leaned against the window while William drove, music playing quietly through the speakers.
It felt peaceful.
Almost normal.
William drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting casually on the console between them. Est sat beside him, watching the trees blur past the window. The peaceful silence of the cabin still clung to them like a lingering dream.
Neither of them wanted to say it out loud.
Going back meant cameras.
Fans.
Expectations.
And secrets.
Est finally broke the silence. "You think anyone noticed we disappeared for two days?"
William glanced at him with a faint smile. "Knowing the internet? They probably started a conspiracy theory."
Est laughed softly. "I can already imagine it. 'WilliamEst secretly eloped to a private island.'"
"That wouldn't be the worst rumor," William said quietly.
Est turned toward him, eyebrow raised. "Oh?"
William shrugged, though the corner of his mouth lifted. "Depends on who I'm eloping with."
Est rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face.
The car continued toward the city skyline, which was beginning to rise ahead of them—tall buildings catching the morning sunlight.
The closer they got, the more the world seemed to wake up.
Traffic thickened. Billboards flashed advertisements. Motorbikes weaved through lanes.
But the closer they got to the city, the more their phones began buzzing.
Notifications. Mentions. Fan edits. News articles.
Est sighed, unlocking his phone. "You might want to see this."
William glanced over briefly while stopped at a light.
A trending page filled the screen.
#WilliamEstReal
#LakeTripTheory
#WilliamProtectingEst
Fan photos from a restaurant they'd passed through the day before had already surfaced online.
Someone had taken a blurry photo of William holding the cabin door open for Est.
Another showed them walking by the lake together.
Comments flooded beneath it:
"THE WAY WILLIAM LOOKS AT HIM 😭"
"They're definitely together."
"This is not acting anymore."
William shook his head, amused but slightly overwhelmed.
"Fans think we were together all weekend." Est commented.
William's voice stayed calm. "Well… they're not wrong."
Est elbowed him lightly.
"Fans are detectives," William muttered.
Est laughed softly. "We should hire them for the production team."
By the time they reached the studio district, the peaceful quiet of the lake felt like a distant dream.
Traffic filled the streets.
Billboards advertising their drama towered above the buildings.
Their faces—huge and smiling—looked down from posters promoting the next episode.
Est stared at one as the car stopped at a red light.
"That's weird," he said.
"What?"
"Seeing our characters everywhere… when the real story is happening off-screen."
William glanced at him, thoughtful.
"Maybe that's why fans like it so much," he said. "Because sometimes the line between the story and reality feels blurry."
Est looked down at his hands.
"Does it scare you?" he asked quietly.
William didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached over and squeezed Est's knee reassuringly.
"A little," he admitted.
"But not as much as losing this."
Est's chest tightened slightly at the sincerity in William's voice.
As they pulled into the studio district, the calm morning shifted instantly.
A group of fans had already gathered outside the gates.
Phones.
Cameras.
Signs.
Some of them spotted the car immediately.
"WILLIAM!!"
"EST!!"
More people turned.
Within seconds, phones were in the air.
William slowed the car carefully as security opened the gate.
Est instinctively shifted closer to William.
The cheers grew louder.
Some fans waved banners.
One sign read:
"PROTECT EST AT ALL COSTS"
Another read:
"WILLIAMEST FOREVER"
Est blinked in surprise. "They made signs…"
William smiled slightly. "You're loved."
Est's expression softened as he looked out the window again.
Fans waved enthusiastically, some nearly bouncing with excitement.
He waved back shyly.
The reaction was instant—screams of happiness.
William chuckled. "Careful. If you keep doing that they'll never let us inside."
Est laughed nervously but kept waving.
Just before the car fully entered the studio lot, one fan shouted loudly enough for them to hear:
"TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER!"
Est froze for a second.
William heard it too.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then William quietly reached over and squeezed Est's hand.
Hidden below the window.
A silent promise.
Est looked down at their hands.
His fingers tightened around William's.
"Guess we're not fooling anyone," Est murmured.
William smirked. "We're not trying very hard."
Once inside the lot, the noise faded slightly.
But the reality of work returned immediately.
Crew members hurried around.
Equipment carts rolled past.
Directors shouted instructions across the set.
The moment the car stopped, their manager appeared beside the window.
He leaned down with an exhausted expression.
"You two disappeared for forty-eight hours," he said.
William lowered the window.
"Did we?" he asked casually.
The manager sighed. "The internet nearly exploded."
Est tried not to laugh.
"Good news though," the manager continued. "The hype is helping the show."
William stepped out of the car.
"Glad we could assist marketing."
Est followed, adjusting his jacket.
But the moment he stepped out—
Another wave of cameras.
Press photographers had slipped into the lot.
Flashes burst.
Questions flew.
"William! Est! Are you two dating?"
"Where were you this weekend?"
"Is the lake trip real?"
William instinctively moved closer to Est.
Not dramatically.
Just enough that their shoulders brushed.
Protective.
Grounded.
Est leaned slightly toward him in response.
The small gesture did not go unnoticed.
More flashes.
"Look here!"
"William!"
"Est!"
William leaned closer and whispered quietly.
"Welcome back to reality."
Est sighed dramatically.
"I miss the lake already."
William smiled faintly.
"Me too."
Then he added softly—
"But we'll find another escape."
Est looked up at him.
The chaos around them faded for a second.
"Promise?"
William's voice was quiet but certain.
"Promise."
...
The familiar chaos of filming surrounded them immediately.
Crew members hurried around adjusting lights.
Directors reviewed scripts.
Assistants rushed between departments.
Scenes were rehearsed, lights adjusted, and lines repeated until the director was satisfied. Yet the atmosphere felt different today. Everyone seemed slightly more curious than usual.
Crew members whispered.
Assistants exchanged knowing looks.
Even the makeup artist smiled a little too knowingly when William and Est arrived together.
Est leaned toward William while they waited for the next scene.
"I think everyone read the internet this morning."
William raised an eyebrow. "Everyone reads the internet."
"That's not comforting."
William chuckled quietly.
When filming resumed, Kai joined them for a scene in the café set.
Kai greeted them with a grin that already looked suspicious.
"Well, well," he said. "Our mysterious weekend travelers."
Est groaned. "Not you too."
Kai leaned casually on the table. "Oh please. Half the fans think you two ran away together."
William stayed calm, flipping through his script.
"Fans imagine a lot of things."
Kai smirked. "Some of them seem pretty convincing."
Est kicked Kai lightly under the table.
"Focus on the scene," Est whispered.
Kai laughed but didn't push further.
Still, during the take, he deliberately improvised a teasing line toward Est that wasn't in the script.
"You seem distracted lately," Kai said in character, leaning closer. "Something—or someone—on your mind?"
The director didn't cut.
The line stayed.
Est felt his face heat slightly but stayed in character.
Across the table, William's eyes flickered with quiet amusement.
Later that afternoon, the cast filmed an outdoor promotional segment for the drama.
Fans had gathered again behind barriers nearby, watching excitedly.
Every movement was recorded.
Every interaction analyzed.
During a break, Est tripped slightly over a cable while walking back to his mark.
Before anyone else could react, William reached out instinctively, catching his arm.
The gesture lasted only a second.
But the crowd erupted.
Fans screamed.
Phones zoomed in.
Est laughed nervously.
"Now they definitely won't calm down."
William shrugged. "You almost fell."
"You caught me very dramatically."
"Good reflexes."
Kai walked past them, whispering just loud enough:
"You two are feeding the fandom."
Est buried his face in his hands.
Filming finally wrapped close to midnight.
The studio slowly emptied, leaving quiet hallways and dim lights behind.
Est finished changing and stepped into the corridor, stretching tiredly.
"Long day," he muttered.
William appeared beside him a moment later.
"Come with me," he said quietly.
"Where?"
"You'll see."
Curious, Est followed him up the stairwell of the building.
One floor.
Two floors.
Three.
Finally, William pushed open a metal door.
Cool night air rushed in.
They stepped onto the rooftop.
The city stretched endlessly around them.
Lights glittered across the skyline.
Traffic hummed far below like a distant ocean.
Est walked toward the edge slowly, amazed.
"Wow…"
William leaned beside him against the railing.
"I come here sometimes after long shoots."
Est turned toward him.
"Why didn't you bring me before?"
William smiled softly.
"Because it's quiet."
The wind stirred Est's hair slightly.
For a moment they simply stood there, side by side, breathing in the peaceful night.
No cameras.
No scripts.
No shouting directors.
Just them.
Est rested his elbows on the railing.
"Today was crazy."
"Today was normal," William corrected gently.
Est laughed.
"True."
After a moment, William turned toward him slightly.
"You handled everything well."
Est looked surprised.
"The rumors?"
William nodded.
"And the fans."
Est shrugged.
"They love us."
"They do."
William's voice softened.
"And they see more than we think."
Est glanced at him.
Their eyes met.
For a moment the city lights reflected in William's gaze, making everything feel strangely intimate.
Est's voice lowered slightly.
"Do you ever worry someone will figure it out?"
William stepped closer.
Not enough to draw attention.
Just enough that their shoulders brushed again.
"They probably already have," he said quietly.
Est felt his heartbeat quicken.
"But," William added gently, "what matters is what we know."
The rooftop wind carried the distant sound of traffic and laughter from the streets below.
Est leaned slightly against William's shoulder.
"Then let's keep this place our secret," he said softly.
William smiled.
"Our escape."
They stood there for a long time under the city lights, sharing quiet jokes and soft laughter, letting the night wrap around them like the calm after a storm.
For the first time since leaving the lake, the world finally felt quiet again.