Falling For Director Lee

EPISODE 5

Back to Adrian. After much thought, he finally accepted Noah’s dinner invitation. That Monday evening, after work, he went home to freshen up before making his way to Noah’s apartment.

When the doorbell rang, Noah opened it, smiling warmly.

> “Adrian! Come in, feel at home.”

Noah led him inside, carefully setting the dining table. Once everything was ready, he invited Adrian to sit. They ate while chatting lightly, the conversation sprinkled with subtle, playful teasing. There was laughter, but beneath it, a quiet electricity hung in the air.

After dinner, Adrian moved back to the parlour while Noah cleared the table. Adrian offered to help, but Noah shook his head.

> “You’re my guest. Let me do this.”

Adrian settled into the couch with a glass of wine, trying to calm the fluttering in his chest. Moments later, Noah joined him with his own glass and sat close enough that their shoulders brushed.

They spoke for a while, discussing casual topics, but the words were secondary to the quiet connection building between them. Eventually, Noah downed his wine, placed the glass on the table, and turned to face Adrian fully.

For a long moment, neither spoke. Then Noah’s voice, soft but steady, broke the silence.

> “Adrian… I’ve watched you for so long. Not just as my director… not just as someone who keeps everything in perfect order… but you. The way you think, the way you move, the quiet strength you carry even when no one notices. I… I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Adrian’s breath caught. He set his glass down, his fingers tightening around it.

> “Noah… I… I don’t know what to say.”

Noah reached out gently, brushing a strand of hair behind Adrian’s ear.

> “You don’t have to say anything. Just… listen. I’ve tried to ignore it, to stay distant, but I can’t. You’re the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think of before I sleep. And I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

Adrian swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper.

> “But… if we… if we do this… people will talk. Your fans… the media… your career—”

Noah placed his hand over Adrian’s, his touch warm and steady.

> “I’ve lived my life with people telling me what I can’t do. And I’ve spent years hiding who I really am, who I really feel. But with you… none of that matters. You. Us. That’s all I care about. If the world doesn’t like it… I don’t care. I just care about you.”

Adrian’s chest tightened as he felt the sincerity and intensity in Noah’s words. He searched Noah’s eyes, seeing the vulnerability beneath the confident exterior, the raw honesty that made his heart ache.

> “I… I’ve never felt this before. But it’s terrifying. I… I don’t know if I can protect you if this goes wrong.”

Noah leaned in, resting his forehead against Adrian’s.

> “Then let me be the one to protect us. Let me show you that you don’t have to bear this alone. Let me in, Adrian.”

Adrian closed his eyes for a long moment, letting the warmth of Noah’s presence wash over him. His heart was racing, but for the first time, he felt like he could trust it. Slowly, he nodded.

> “Okay… we’ll do this. But I… I need to take it one step at a time.”

Noah smiled, eyes glistening. He leaned forward, capturing Adrian’s lips in a soft, lingering kiss. When he pulled back, he whispered against his mouth,

> “One step at a time… but together.”

Adrian’s hands trembled slightly as he held Noah’s face, leaning into the kiss. All his fears melted, replaced by a quiet certainty: this was right. This was real. And for the first time, Adrian allowed himself to feel the happiness he had denied for so long.

Noah pressed another kiss to his lips, deeper, more intimate, sealing their new beginning.

> “I’ve wanted you for so long… Adrian.”

Adrian whispered back, voice trembling with emotion,

> “And I’ve been waiting for you too, Noah.”

For the first time, the world outside didn’t matter. All that mattered was them, and the undeniable bond they had finally acknowledged.

---

The days at Eden Global had grown into a rhythm, a carefully balanced dance between professionalism and the private sweetness only Noah and Adrian shared. In public, they were director and actor, colleagues executing campaigns with precision. Behind closed doors—or in moments no one else noticed—their connection blossomed.

Noah couldn’t help but notice how much Adrian knew about him.

> “You know my favorite drink is the mango bubble tea from that little café across the street?” Noah asked one afternoon during a break.

Adrian looked up from his tablet, expression neutral.

> “Hmm? I guess I might’ve remembered it somewhere. Did I?”

> “Somewhere? You always say that,” Noah teased, a sly smile curling on his lips. “You know my favorite color too… and that I can’t resist salted caramel chocolate.”

Adrian’s lips twitched, barely a smile.

> “Maybe I just pay attention when you talk.”

> “Or maybe you just can’t help it,” Noah said softly, leaning closer, eyes glinting.

Adrian stiffened slightly, keeping his professional composure. Yet his pulse betrayed him. Every small tease, every sly glance from Noah made his chest tighten with a warmth he hadn’t expected.

At work, their closeness was subtle. A hand brushing against another to pass a document, shared glances during meetings, small smiles in hallways. To an outsider, it was casual, harmless. To them, it was loaded with unspoken understanding, laughter, and longing.

---

Later that evening, back at Noah’s apartment, he was on the phone with Adrian, chatting about the next day’s shoot. The words were light, the tone intimate, private. Suddenly, the door cracked open, and a familiar figure stepped inside.

> “Liang…” Noah’s voice caught.

Liang, Noah’s senior, closest friend, and first love—though he had never confessed—moved slowly toward him and sat by his side.

> “He… he found someone else,” Liang muttered, tears silently spilling down his face.

Noah’s heart clenched at the sight. He pulled Liang into a gentle, protective embrace.

> “Shhh… It’s okay. I’m here. You’re not alone. Everything will be fine,” Noah whispered, pressing his cheek to Liang’s hair.

Liang sobbed quietly, letting himself be comforted. Noah’s mind raced, a familiar surge of anger and determination rising in him. This—this betrayal, this heartbreak—it had fueled him before, and it would again. He had a plan, a promise of revenge he had sworn he would see through. But seeing Liang like this, vulnerable, only strengthened his resolve.

> “It’s his loss, Liang,” Noah murmured, stroking his friend’s back. “You’re an amazing person. Don’t ever forget that. Everything will be okay, I promise.”

Liang buried his face deeper into Noah’s chest, and Noah’s heart ached—not for himself, but for the friend he had always loved quietly, always wanted to protect.

---

Back at Adrian’s apartment, he finally allowed himself a quiet moment to speak with Chen Wei. They sat together in the living room, the late evening calm wrapping around them. Adrian explained everything—how he had started dating Noah, the challenges and excitement, the mixture of fear and exhilaration.

Chen’s eyes lit up with happiness for his cousin.

> “I’m glad, Adrian. You deserve this.”

Adrian smiled softly, grateful for Chen’s support. But Chen’s own mood was subdued. He didn’t linger long, retreating to his room, the weight of his own unresolved feelings pressing on him.

Lying on his bed later, Chen took out his phone. He scrolled through photos of him and Liang, moments frozen in time—laughing together, quiet moments, stolen smiles. A bittersweet smile crossed his face.

Then the weight of it hit him, and tears streamed down his cheeks. Seeing the love of his life every day, yet being unable to reach him, was more than he could bear. He clutched the phone, letting himself break, the memories both comforting and painful.

The apartment was quiet, the city outside buzzing with life, but inside, Chen Wei allowed himself to feel the ache of love lost, and the hope that someday, somehow, the pieces might align again.

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