The footage wasn't even supposed to be released.
It wasn't edited.
It wasn't color-graded.
It wasn't approved by Mason (who would rather swallow a cactus).
But a behind-the-scenes cameraman—Rick's assistant—accidentally uploaded a five-second clip to the studio's cloud.
Five seconds.
Of:
Julian leaning in too close
Aria stepping closer
Both speaking in low voices
A tension so thick you could cut it with a prop sword
The clip wasn't supposed to go public.
But the internet, crafty and unstoppable, said:
lol too bad
Within two hours, someone leaked it.
Within three hours, it trended.
Within four hours…
The fandom was on fire.
The Hashtags Begin
Top worldwide trends:
#CrossLane
#JulAria
#WarehouseSceneLeak
#WhyAreTheyBreathingLikeThat
#DirectorOnLifeSupport
Fans were united on one thing:
"THE CHEMISTRY IS ILLEGAL."
Sample Tweets (The Chaos Variety)
@ActionDramaFan:
WHO ALLOWED JULIAN CROSS TO LOOK AT HER LIKE THAT??? HELLO??? ARREST HIM???
@AriaProtectionSquad:
If my future partner doesn't lean in like Julian did, I'm returning them to sender.
@FilmNerd101:
I paused at 0.03 seconds.
Their eye contact is a CRIME.
A CINEMATIC CRIME.
@DirectorMasonApologists:
Please stop. Mason is aging in dog years.
International Fans Join the Party
Brazilian fans:
"THE INTENSITY. THE EYE CONTACT. I CAN'T BREATHE."
Korean fans:
"둘이 진짜 사귀는 거 아니야?"
(Are they actually dating?)
Japanese fans:
"距離が近すぎる…もう結婚しな"
(They're too close… just get married already.)
Filipino fans:
"Grabe sila! Lakasan ng chemistry!"
(Their chemistry is insane!)
Malaysian fans:
"Korang ni jangan. Mason pengsan nanti."
(Stop it guys, Mason will faint.)
Then the Fan Edits Start
Within HOURS:
Slow-mo edits
Dramatic music overlays
Side-by-side reaction videos
Lip-reading "analysis" (all wrong)
Wattpad fanfiction with 20k reads already
Someone made a 15-minute compilation titled:
"Aria & Julian Being Accidentally Married."
It had 300,000 views in one afternoon.
Mason nearly died.
Meanwhile On Set…
Aria scrolled through her phone.
Blink.
Scroll.
Blink.
"…Why are they pairing us?" she asked quietly.
Julian looked amused.
"Well, do you mind it?"
She considered.
"No."
Julian smiled.
Daniel screamed from across the room:
"STOP SMILING AT HER LIKE THAT! THE FANS CAN SEE YOU!"
Mason Enters With the Energy of a Man Under Siege
He barged in holding his tablet.
"DO YOU TWO KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!"
Julian blinked.
"What happened?"
Mason shoved the tablet between them.
The screen showed:
#CrossLane — 2.1M Tweets
Julian raised an eyebrow.
"…That's a lot."
Aria nodded.
"It is big."
Mason screeched:
"NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO SHIP YOU TWO! THIS IS AN ACTION MOVIE, NOT A ROMANCE!"
Daniel helpfully added:
"They're shipping you even in action edits."
Mason nearly threw the tablet.
The Crew Chimes In (Unhelpfully)
Rick:
"To be fair, their chemistry is insane."
Makeup artist:
"They'd be cute together."
Lighting tech:
"I already subscribed to a fan account for them."
Pyrotechnics guy:
"I'm making fireworks with their initials."
Mason pointed at all of them:
"STOP ENCOURAGING THIS!"
Aria's Very Calm Response
She lowered her phone.
"They are… enthusiastic."
Julian smiled.
"Fans like us."
Daniel screamed:
"THEY LIKE YOU TOO MUCH! THEY'RE CALLING YOU 'THE SLOW-BURN ROYAL COUPLE'!"
Aria blinked.
"We are royalty?"
Julian chuckled softly.
"In their hearts, apparently."
Mason screamed into a chair.
The Final Blow
An assistant rushed in, breathless.
"Director! The studio just called—
They want more promotional shots of Aria and Julian together!"
Mason looked at Julian.
At Aria.
At the ceiling.
And whispered:
"…Take me."
Daniel patted him.
"To the hospital?"
"No…
to the void."