ep 1 A moment of silence

Behind the Spotlight

(A Celebrity x Non-Celebrity BL Romance – Slow Burn, Angst, 18+ Themes)

Ethan Hayes needed to disappear.

The flashing cameras, the suffocating swarm of reporters shouting his name, the endless cycle of interviews—it was too much. The weight of being Hollywood’s golden boy felt heavier than ever tonight.

Ducking his head under his hoodie, he slipped through a side street, rain slicking the pavement beneath his sneakers. His manager, Mason, would throw a fit if he knew Ethan had vanished without security, but for once, he didn’t care. He just needed silence—a break from the deafening roar of his own fame.

That’s when he spotted the small, tucked-away bookstore on the corner. Its warm glow and quiet presence called to him like an escape hatch from his own reality. He didn’t think. He just stepped inside.

---

Noah Carter barely glanced up when the bell above the door jingled. The last thing he expected was a customer this late—especially one who moved with the nervous energy of someone running from something.

He finished noting inventory in the log before finally looking up. The man in the hoodie had his hands stuffed in his pockets, his posture tense. Something about him seemed familiar, but Noah couldn’t quite place it.

“Need help finding something?” Noah asked, adjusting his glasses.

The man hesitated. “Just looking.”

His voice was smooth, deep, but carried a rough edge—like someone who hadn’t had a moment of real rest in a long time.

Noah nodded, going back to his book, respecting the stranger’s space. It wasn’t unusual for people to wander in just to get out of the rain. If anything, he found a strange comfort in the quiet presence of another person who didn’t expect anything from him.

Minutes passed.

Ethan browsed, fingers trailing over book spines, but his gaze kept drifting toward the man behind the counter. He had that look—the kind of quiet confidence that came from being completely at ease in his own world. His dark curls were slightly unruly, glasses resting on his nose, and he had the softest brown eyes Ethan had ever seen.

For the first time in weeks, Ethan felt his pulse slow.

He didn’t have to perform here.

Didn’t have to be Ethan Hayes, movie star, Hollywood’s heartthrob, tabloid magnet.

Here, he was just a tired man looking for peace.

And this guy had no idea who he was.

Something about that was intoxicating.

---

A Name Without Fame

After a while, Noah cleared his throat. “We’re closing soon.”

Ethan turned, caught off guard. He wasn’t used to people brushing him off so casually. In Hollywood, he was never just some guy. But this man… he hadn’t even asked his name.

A slow smirk tugged at Ethan’s lips. Interesting.

“What’s your name?” Ethan asked.

Noah raised a brow at the sudden question. “Noah.”

Simple. Direct. No frills.

Ethan rolled the name over in his mind, liking the way it sounded. “Nice place, Noah.”

Noah leaned on the counter. “You a big reader?”

Ethan hesitated. He used to be. Before scripts and schedules devoured his time. Before every part of his life became public property.

“Not as much as I’d like.”

Noah nodded, studying him a moment longer. Then, as if deciding something, he grabbed a book from the shelf behind him and slid it across the counter.

“Here. On the house.”

Ethan frowned. “You don’t even know me.”

“You look like you need it,” Noah said simply, not elaborating.

Ethan turned the book over in his hands. The Stranger by Albert Camus.

A chuckle escaped him. “So, you think I’m some existential mess?”

Noah gave the barest hint of a smirk. “You walked into a bookstore at almost midnight, alone, looking like you were being hunted by ghosts. If the shoe fits…”

Ethan let out a surprised laugh. A real one.

God, when was the last time he laughed like that?

“Alright, Noah,” Ethan said, tucking the book under his arm. “You win. I’ll read it.”

As he turned to leave, Noah’s voice followed him.

“If you actually finish it, come back and tell me what you think.”

Ethan paused at the door, looking back at Noah one last time.

Maybe it was the way the warm bookstore lights framed him. Maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in years, someone wasn’t treating him like a celebrity—just a man.

Either way, Ethan knew one thing for certain.

He was coming back.

And this time, it wouldn’t just be for the book.

---

To Be Continued…

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