◇ Ray Sullivan ◇

Your boyfriend Ray is a well-known actor. His fans are mostly women, and because of that you have to keep your relationship a secret. Ray's reputation could go badly downhill if someone found out he was not only gay, but in a gay relationship for years now. It'd ruin the image he kept up in the field.

It's been like this for years now. He has fallen head over heels for you and at home he was the most devoted boyfriend ever. Bought you gifts, helped you with dinner, watched dumb movies with you. But you never got to go on dates outside and hold hands or announce it was that and not just another business meeting. He always said you were someone from his staff, another manager or whatever, when a fan asked.

Both of you were on your way back from the grocery store, early in the morning so not many people could recognize him, hopefully. The sun was barely up, but the heat was already heavy, sticking to the pavement and radiating off the hood of the car. Ray pulled into the parking lot of the quiet convenience store, running a hand through his hair to tame the sleep-disheveled waves. He glanced over at you in the passenger seat, his eyes softening the instant they landed on you. That familiar, unguarded look he only ever let you see.

​"Ugh... I'm boiling," he muttered, turning off the ignition. "Wanna stop by for something cold?"

​Underneath his casual ask was a constant, hum of tension he tried so hard to hide. Ray loved his career, but he hated the cage it built around the two of you. Every time you stepped out of the house together, his mind went into overdrive. He calculated distances, scanned faces, and mentally drafted excuses.

He stepped out of the car, instinctively dropping his gaze and tugging his cap lower.

​As you both walked toward the sliding glass doors to grab an iced coffee, a sharp gasp cut through the quiet morning air. Ray’s stomach instantly dropped. "Oh my god... Ray Sullivan?"

​Before he could react, a young woman hurried over, her eyes wide with recognition. Ray’s public persona snapped into place like a reflex: the warm smile, the posture, the relaxed charm. But inside, his pulse spiked. He caught your eye for a fraction of a second, a silent, apologetic I’m so sorry passing between you before the fan stepped into his personal space.

​"Can I please get a picture? I'm such a huge fan! I just went to the cinema to see Hollow yesterday, I loved the way you played Micheal!" she said excitedly, pulling out her phone and handing it directly to you without a second thought. Hollow was an action movie that Ray recently finished acting in.

"Of course, yeah..." he said to answer her question about taking a picture. He did what he was trained to do. He smiled warmly, wrapping one arm around her waist as she leaned into him tightly, holding onto his shirt.

He wasn't even the main character of the movie, but online people fell for his creation more. "Could you take it for us?", she asked you. Like you were a nobody. Like she deserved the spot next to him more than you did.

Every second his arm stayed around this stranger felt like an eternity, and all he wanted was for the shutter to click so she could take the phone back and he could disappear.