Chapter Text
The amount of commercial flights Archie Lanes has taken in his life is staunchly under ten. For this exact reason.
After 5 ish hours stuck in a tin can with no leg room. He’s 6 foot 1 for fuck sakes. He needs space. Alas this was a non-negotiable flight to miss. He had two hours to get to this audition or his life would probably be over.
Dramatic? Well yes, he’s an actor. He lives in the drama.
Murphy’s law will dictate that if something could go wrong it would. And unfortunately it was his own fault. He grabbed the wrong bag. To be fair, they were the exact same make, exact same colour. He didn’t realize they were different until he unzipped it looking for new dress pants since he spilled coffee in the uber.
That’s what he gets for being in a rush. But what was he supposed to do?! When he sent in that audition tape three months ago he expected nothing back. The script was insane, the commitment life altering. He’s not even sure how it landed on his uncle’s desk but that man as his agent did work miracles. Even just reading for it was insane.
After radio silence for months he didn’t expect to hear anything back. Until that very same uncle called him up about a second call in LA that he needed to be at in nine hours. While he was rotting in bed in New York.
The flight was booked while he showered. The only seat free? Economy class, Delta. Actually a fucking nightmare. But while Archie was independently, generationally rich from both parents, he still enjoyed working. Acting, singing, dancing, performing, all of it was probably the reason he was put on the planet. So he got off his ass and onto the commercial flight.
Now, staring at the small navy carryon with labelled packing cubes and fucking crayons he realized he grabbed a toddlers bag. Just to make sure he pulled a few packing cubes out, maybe it would magically turn into the hastily packed luggage he crafted earlier in the day. He uncovered three pairs of jeans and a suit bag that definitely wasn’t his, he panicked. But he looked at the sprawled contents and opened the bag labeled “Pants” checking the tag for size.
Okay, so not a kid’s bag.
The jeans would fit well enough, a size larger wasn’t a big deal. The tag on the pants were also labelled Luca and included a long set of numbers. A phone number, maybe there was a chance to get his rightful bag after all. But that was a later problem, he had two hours until auditions closed and it was LA after all.
“How confident are you in your ability to gain weight?” The question wasn’t even in the top ten of most invasive audition questions he’d been asked in his life.
“I’m committed to maintaining the body needed for the role.” Archie chose to answer that way because while it was the truth, he also unfortunately went through some of the harshest training conditions over his past three years working outside of the US. Being back in America with all its high calories and delicious carbs. Gaining weight sounded like freedom, but there was no way he was telling them that.
“We will be in touch.”
And he was dismissed.
He spent the uber ride back in silence. Thinking about what he did right, what he did wrong. This character was layered and had so much history behind it. This would be a franchise role. A three movie deal minimum was on the table. If he landed this he would be huge, have a name for himself in big circles that had nothing to do with his parents legacy. Something he got himself. He pushed it out of his mind. For now he just needed to head back to the hotel. Change out of these over sized jeans and maybe, maybe locate where the hell his luggage was.
He took his phone out once he was finally in the hotel. He ignored it pre and post audition. It was a distraction. He was chronically online as it is and needed to set boundaries.
He looked at his 3 awaiting text messages and sighed knowing there were only three people it could be and two of them were his relatives.
Low and behold when he opened them it was a set of messages from his Uncle slash Agent. Instead of answering he just called. Texting was his least favourite method of communication. It was so hard to know what emotion the text was being sent with. It was too easy to misconstrue. A joke is suddenly offensive. A heart felt message comes off as passive.
“Hey Kid. How was the audition? Did you make it?” Archie smiled. He was twenty, he stopped being a kid a long time ago. Yet he would never bring that up to his uncle. No, having this one little piece of family was too important.
“Hey! I made it but I’m not sure how it went. You know how these things are.”
“Not to get your hopes up but I think you have a good chance. And that’s not just a bias opinion.”
“Yea, well we will see.” Archie paused, looking at the open suitcase that still hadn’t magically become his own. “Oh! By the way I absolutely didn’t read your texts so please just tell me what they’re about. Hopefully nothing important.”
“Did you happen to lose your luggage?”
“How did you know?”
“Your instagram account got a very strange DM and it was flagged.” Archie didn’t touch his public account, the verified one, and hadn’t in years. Before he would look at the comments the notes from fans but it quickly became toxic. So he gave it up. “I’ll send you the screen shots. I thought it was a prank but now that you’ve actually lost them,” his uncle laughed.
“I’ll take a look.”
“Do you want me to handle the retrieval?”
“I didn’t have anything too important in it. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get someone to arrange anything I’ll need.”
“Alright, if you’re sure.”
“Yes, now go to bed, it's almost midnight old man.”
“Rude! I’m waiting for Peem to get home.”
“Oh tell him hi!”
“I will of course. See you soon. I’ll fly out as soon as I can.”
“I’m your least problematic client I’ll be fine.”
“Only because you don’t do anything!”
“You know why.”
“Sure, but this is different. Have some fun kid.”
“Sure thing. Add it in my schedule.”
“Don’t think I won’t!”
“Night old man”
“Talk to you soon kid.”
After his parents passed away at sixteen Archie had already been a household name on Disney channel. Had already been thoroughly exposed to the American market. His uncle, one he had never heard before somehow got custody. He also happened to be an agent. The whole thing was messy and Archie hadn’t reacted normally to his parents death. Most kids would be sad. Relief was definitely not normal.
The first year was filled with warm cozy houses, unexpected hugs family, meals. And a lot of healing. The he went to Korea and he learned what missing family and loneliness truly was. But that was all in the past. Now he was back stateside, back with family. Without toxic representation and pressures, he planned to live life however he wanted.
And here in lied the problem. He was famous. Not nearly in the way he had been in Korea. Most people in the US only knew him from the few small parts he did and his most recent stint in AHS. He went out without being recognized all the time. It helped that if he wanted true privacy he had more money than god and could get whatever he wanted.
He was just so bored. Which was maybe why he pushed himself into acting, singing, dancing anything physical that required skill. Everything else in life was easy by virtue of his parents' assets. He could fuck off to an island he bought and live off dividends until he was old and grey. But god he got bored quickly.
Which sometimes led him to doing things he maybe shouldn’t for his status. Like texting the number that was currently on the tag of the pants he was currently wearing.
“Hello Luca Haas, this is Archie. I believe we have switched bags at the airport. Please contact me when you receive this.” He left the message when it got to voice mail. Which was already pushing it.
But worse was agreeing to meet after being charmed via text. Yea, sometimes Archie liked bad ideas.
The restaurant was empty for LA, and it was definitely because the food here was mediocre. They were downtown and this was not the trendy, vegan, or instagram worthy places everyone wanted to eat at.
He walked in wearing the hood of his sweater up over his brown hair, the same jeans as before that did not belong to him but he had nothing else to wear. He was admittedly not at his best.
He arrived late. The twenty minutes he had given this Luca person was spent pacing his hotel room. When the guy had said his hotel name it gave Archie pause. The chances they were staying at the same hotel made his paranoia ping, he only had a few before but crazy fans were everywhere. So instead of what would be easy, meeting in the lobby, he suggested an IHOP.
Archie scanned the admittedly empty restaurant, sunglasses on even at night and found his luggage first. He would forever regret that a stupid little bag caught his attention when there was an angel right there.
Blond curls sat messily only top of a perfect cherubic face. Long lashes framed the most captivating blue eyes he had ever seen. The guy, Luca, Archie reminded himself, ran his tongue nervously over his plump pink lips and Archie’s breath caught.
Excuse me, this is an IHOP. This was warfare. Archie was too gay for this. Well he was bisexual but at this moment in a very very gay way.
“Hey, is this seat taken?” If his voice was a little flirty, a little deeper, no one would know.
“Oh I’m sorry ye- oh!” The napkin Luca was trying to read into prices was quickly forgotten as he stood. The little pieces of tissue falling over the table and floor. “Hi! Umm, nice to meet you. I’m Luca.”
“Archie Lanes.” The smirk that accompanied the introduction was well practiced.
“Here’s your bag.” Luca pushed the wheeled carry-on toward Archie with his eyes at the table. The actor stood there before making a decision and plopping down into the booth.
“Ugh I’m starving. Are you hungry?”
“Uhh I could eat.” He still hadn’t raised his eyes and Archie already missed that shade of blue. It wasn’t the light baby blues that Hollywood went crazy for. No, they were rich in colour, almost royal, deep and easy to get lost in.
“I bet.” Since Luca wouldn’t look at him Archie took the time to check him out. The guy was well built. Solid. Even for how young he looked, and the few inches shorter he was than Archie.
While Archie was slim, as the director had both praised and lamented today. He was not pure muscle. He had a model’s build, long lean muscled but not visible so as to not ruin the lines on an outfit.
Luca was compressed. Wearing an armless shirt and though not a large guy his muscles were well pronounced. He looked made for speed. Streamline. Coiled and ready to strike in a way his frankly adorable face didn’t match.
“I’d kill for pancakes!” They would be buckwheat and with peanut butter instead of syrup but they would be a good cheat meal after the day he had. From his tracking for the day of which there was none (too nervous to eat) he had 1600 calories and he planned to enjoy every single one of them.
“Well, we’re at an IHOP. I don't think murder is necessary.” Archie couldn’t help but smile. Luca still hadn’t looked at him but joking was good.
The waiter came and they ordered. Archie got his pancakes and Luca ordered three sides of sausage and a spinach omelette.
Then they sat in mostly silence. Was it awkward? Yes. But still not the most awkward first date Archie has been on. Well technically it wasn’t a first date, but it could be?
“Are you a Wonder or IC comic guy?” A classic question. And considering Luca had a superhero print pair of boxers packed in that luggage it would be well received.
“Wonder 100%.” The answer came quick.
“That’s definitely the wrong answer.”
“It’s the only answer if we’re talking superheroes. Which most people are when they ask that questions. Now if we’re talking villains… well IC has it in the bag. Love me a tragic backstory.”
“The heroes have backstories too.”
“And are either over or under powered. Do not actually ever defeat a villain…”
“You’re a hater!”
“No I’m a realist. Statistically Wonder has a better run.”
“Only in movies. IC owns the comic world.”
“And they should stay in their lane.”
“Those are fighting words.”
“Are they? Are you going to fight me, mister Lane?” Those blue eyes finally locked on Archie’s own brown ones and Archie new right then and there he was fucked.
Luckily he didn’t need to reply as the waitress interrupted with their food.
“What the fuck are those?” Luca was staring at Archie’s plate with something akin to horror.
“Buckwheat pancakes with peanut butter and banana.” Subjectively they looked good, for ihop.
“They’re literally grey.” Maybe the colour was a little off putting. They definitely weren’t fluffy and golden brown which Archie would prefer.
“They’re good.” And they were for what they were.
“Sure.”
“You can’t talk egg white omelette and sausage. Yawn.” It’s a boring meal, lacking flavour.
“I like my macros.” Archie stopped himself from saying ‘duh.’ You didn’t get arms like that eating whatever you wanted.
“We have different goals, but we can agree that it’s still better than a protein shake?”
“Absolutely.” They bonded over missing luggage, airports in general. They laughed over that they both watched the same inflight movie. The first X Squad because it was the only decent one of the franchise. And Archie kept his mouth shut about how it was technically a Wonder movie as well.
And he flirted. He flirted hard. Well as much as he could and Luca was a stone wall. Aside from how shy he had been at the beginning. There was no blushing, no prolonged eye contact, no stuttering. Not even any sexual tension. And not to toot his own horn but Archie was hot. Attractive and it seemed that Luca was unfortunately straight.
What he doesn’t do is talk about the audition. Or what Luca is even doing in LA. He doesn’t want to talk about it, can’t really. And it’s a little nice to just shoot the shit with someone who wasn’t in the industry.
“Umm, so I know I fucked your day up quite royally. And for the record this is embarrassing but I forgot my wallet.” Archie waited for the inevitable, ‘use your phone to pay’ that came up every time he pulled out his physical card but it didn’t come. “Would you please pay for this poor actor’s pancakes?”
“Yea, no problem!” The angel laughed and yea Archie was fucked. Luca’s laughter sounded a lot like something he wanted to hear again and again. Possibly forever. “I can cover your shitty pancakes.” Blue eyes rolled.
“They were delicious.”
“Debatable.”
When they went to part ways Archie remembered that they were in the same hotel. After the awkward goodbye shuffle, there was the awkward walking the same way dance.
“So, funny story…” Archie started. So maybe Luca was straight. But he was funny and not weird about Archie being a celebrity as low list as he was. And maybe Archie needed a new friend.
————
When he wakes up in the morning he already has an email for a call back. He’s in shock. He has to be back in just a few hours. By ten he’s showered into his own clothes, decidedly more presentable than he had been the previous day.
He gets an unexpected text wishing him good luck, it’s sweet in a way he can’t quite explain. So he does something impulsive. He calls the hotel concierge requesting a suit sent to a room that isn’t his own. It’s off the rack but it’s Hugo Boss and will be there in under three hours.
He goes in and reads again for another room of completely different people. He gets handed another script. A throw away from a movie long past and he has an hour to get it together for chemistry reads.
When he’s sent a photo of Luca wearing it knowing it’s from him it fulfills something inside him he’s never felt before. It doesn’t help that the blond really really fills out the suit. It gets him through the rest of the day.
He starts chemistry reads that afternoon. He reads with no names, he reads with big names. Honestly he reads so many times he doubts if it matters who he’s paired up with. There are a few stand outs in his mind, a younger guy who was easy to shoot the shit with, they were laughing in just minutes. There was Jessica Harnet, yes that Jessica Harnet, who Archie could just tell was already been cast by pure vibes and a lot of nepotism. There was another small town actress that Archie was sure hadn’t been in a single other screen project. But she was good. Everyone else was fine. Either no chemistry or wasn’t memorable at all.
He’s let free at five but with instructions to be back tomorrow. It’s a whirlwind. He’s excited so he texts Luca again and asks how the guy's day went. Then because even if he is straight he enjoys his company and eye candy he asks him to dinner.
Somehow they get through dinner again without talking about Archie’s audition or the reason Luca is in LA. This time they do go to one of those instagram worthy spots but it’s so dark inside no one would see them anyways. Not that Archie cares. They both get salad with wagyu and while the presentation is good the medium rare looks a lot like medium well but it’s tasty for being over priced. They do not get through dinner with out Archie very obviously flirting and Luca laughing through it cementing how fucking straight the little angel is.
Archie is going to die.
He pays because no matter why Luca is in LA, there is no way he has as much money as Archie does. That’s just facts.
They walk back to the hotel together and Luca waves goodbye shyly so different from how he was chatting at the restaurant about dream destinations that Archie is surprised by the blush on those soft cheeks.
He goes to bed and tries hard not to think about it.
Today’s call time is 8am and when he’s in a cab he receives a link to an article. Luca has sent him a hockey news article. Whenever did Archie even hint to liking sports? Toxic masculinity, competition, the stress, the rules. Nope, Archie tried that. He’s simply just an artistic type, a soul searcher.
But because he has imprinted on this blond 19 year old he skims through the article catching every third or so word until blue eyes stop his scrolling.
Luca Haas of Switzerland drafted Second pick by Ottawa Centaurs. The blinding smile on his face made his eyes sparkle and Archie stared at the pure joy.
Archie could learn to like hockey.
He does a little google search of Shane Hollander, apparently one of the best players in the last decade. The first google image is of a Calvin Klein photo shoot. The mixed raced athlete is incredibly hot, to which he texts Luca followed by a panic string of texts where he admits to trying to “get into a professional hockey player's pants” before another panic and deleting the message.
What Archie does know about hockey is that there is like one out player and decades of systematic homophobia. He’s lucky Luca hasn’t said anything to him about all the flirting, or worse.
He goes through the rest of the day without replying.
When he finally texts the next day he can’t keep his fucking fingers still from flirting and decides then and there maybe he should just stop texting all together. Less he gets his stupid gay heart broken.