I've been turning over in my head is how being best friends has worked as such an effective cover for most of the fandom and public to never think there was more to C and H's relationship. Now I absolutely believe they're best friends, and I think their friendship is genuine, but there are some ways in which people have written off their behavior as platonic when perhaps a closer look is needed. So, I'm going to outline some things. Bear with me.
C and H film HR over the course of 2 months. During this time and after filming they interact with each other as coworkers and friends on their IG pages. Since this is before they are well known, their pages are still mostly personal not professional as are their comments. As we've noted in our corner here on Tumblr, many of the comments are possessive in nature. However, I noticed that when the comments aren't possessive, they are about how attractive they find each other. Hot, Stud, Sexy, Handsome, etc. they are extremely complimentary of the others appearance. The comments from others on H's IG are interesting from that time because people can't seem to decide whether to read too much into these comments or not.
In September C goes to visit H in Vancouver for a week. During this time, they post each other on their IG stories and pages. Most of us would only find out about these posts/stories after the fact as they are archived. However the posts depict, what quite frankly looks like a couple enjoying dates and spending time together. The two stories that stand out are the one H posts of C in his bedroom sitting on his bed, and the one C posts of H during their hike. They also post a picture of themselves on H's balcony and the songs they use for these posts are interesting if interpreted a certain way. And of course, they post that they have gotten the infamous Sex Sells matching tattoos. (These tattoos will be brought up frequently in all of their press interviews, removing the context of C's trip to Vancouver, until the Quinn interview and recent Teen Vogue Article).
The show premieres in Montreal and Toronto and they both post pictures of the event and BTS pictures of filming as well. There is also a hilarious wrap party video including a rather interesting interpretive dance between the two. However, the BTS pictures do highlight and extreme comfort level and amt. of trust they have with each other. The picture of them asleep on the couch literally smiling in their sleep is my favorite of this bunch.
Up until the show premieres no one would look at the above information as anything other than friends. There are no celebrities following them at this time, no intense scrutiny about who they're following or what they post. C and H do Canadian press which is very different from the U.S. press. The U.S press is where how they present themselves begins to take shape. They do two things in these interviews. They establish they won't talk about their sexuality or private lives. They began to emphasize that they are best friends, and they are extremely physically expressive and affectionate with each other. They will not be changing that behavior because people might assume their relationship is romantic in nature. Best Friends becomes how everyone sees them. The press, everyone from the cast and crew, the Fandom, describes them as Best Friends, an example of a non-Toxic Male friendship, where they aren't afraid to touch and hug.
This is fine, except for the handful of instances where C specifically refers to H as his soulmate, or a part of his soul family. For those who catch this they immediately attach a platonic nature to this identifier even though that's not the only way to view a soulmate. They discuss H staying at C's apartment while he is in LA, and H describes their relationship behind closed doors and that people might be surprised with how it looks.
In the beginning of December several events take place that help to finish shaping the narrative of Best Friends. Something that is overlooked in favor of this narrative is C and H's appearance at HiTops bar in WeHo. C is extremely affectionate the entire time they are there. He never stops touching or smiling at H and the look can only be described as adoration. But then not to soon after two other things happen. I'm not exactly aware of the timeline but a TikTok page leaks information of a possible gf of H. There are also people who see F and C in LA and take fan selfies, while H is at the HBO wrap Meet and Greet. There is a video of F and C leaving the movies with C's sister (presumably). Not everyone is aware of these incidents until Deux Moi posts them on their gossip page. K is doxxed and people now think there is something going on with F and C. So not only are C and H best friends, but they are also just friends, because allegedly we have confirmation H has a gf (and to some a confirmation of H's sexuality) and a possible relationship for C (also a confirmation to some of C's sexuality.)
However, the rest of December happens. We find out that H and C have recorded an Erotic audio book together for the Quinn App which is released at the end of December, and we get a slew of interviews where some fans notice some not so platonic behavior between C and H. The Buzz Feed interview, The Teen Vogue Interview, and the now infamous Quinn Interview. C and H have several unguarded moments in these interviews. However, not everyone watches these interviews and if they do, they've decided recording erotica together, and any charged interactions is just how best friends behave. There's nothing to see here, right?
But then the Fandom catches wind of C spending NYE with H in Vancouver. Those who weren't around to know about the September trip are now introduced to how close C and H actually are outside of work. There are videos and photos posted by H's friends of both of them. There are fan pictures posted from people who ran into them while they were there. It seems like a big deal to pick the last holiday of the year to spend with each other. But they are best friends right so why not.
Then January hits and C and H are launched into the world so to speak. They begin to have solo appearances, but they have one epic weekend prior to the GG. It's during this time that we see live and in person the vibes that people were getting from the December interviews. But something else is happening as well. For all of the buzzy moments of intimacy there is a chorus of people reminding others that H has a gf, and then the rumor about C and F from December begins to take shape. So now even though we've seen how C and H behave around each other when it's not an interview, we're given an out from reading too much into it via thinking that both parties are already taken.
But the last week of January gave us a lot to chew on going into February. H and C do the Olympic Torch Relay in Italy. There is something so exuberant about their reactions to seeing each other, that it's like being back at square one thinking that something beyond platonic is happening. Afterwards C goes to PFW, and the Wonderland Interview with H comes out. H tells us that he and C's friendship isn't for the public and will be more private in nature going forward. This tracks with earlier in the week seeing a fan video that the fan was asked to keep private until C and H had left the area. But honestly when have we ever heard of actors who are close friends framing their friendship that way. If I'm being honest, it read more like a celebrity couple who announced they had baby and are asking for privacy at this time lol.
C does some extensive archiving to turn his IG profile more professional. Starting with anything tying him to F, and then some of the more personal posts of himself and related to HR. However, H's IG is still a mix of the personal and private and he posts a photo dump at the end of January from his time in Venice. In it there is a picture of him and K. Everyone who has been aware of her takes this as confirmation of a romantic relationship, although that is not explicitly indicated. The post ends with a video of K and C sharing ice cream. There are plenty of funny reactions about the nature of the relationship between the 3, including one that says H posted his gf and bf, a post H liked. If gf is girlfriend and bf is boyfriend, that can be interpreted different ways, but one thing is clear boyfriend is an option. Although C's IG page is more professional now, H returns to the type of comments mentioned at the beginning of this post, something he hadn't done in a while. C is now H's Sunshine and Baby Boy.
So now that I've been long winded, what we have is a relationship that went from public, with romantic overtones, to being presented as strictly platonic to the press, romantic partners assigned to both C and H, causing people to disregard any behavior on both their parts that exceeds being platonic in nature. H states that he and C's friendship will be more private, while returning to public posts showing said private time, and comments reaffirming his feelings towards C.
My theory is that the privacy is in place to safeguard an actual relationship that has been forming between September-December and becoming solid in January, hence H's statements. However, there will be signs that whether we see it or not, private moments are being shared between the two. Presenting as Best Friends will be the truth but also cover for anything C and H don't want to reveal. Until told otherwise, any other partner or potential partner doesn't factor into the equation, not out of meanness, but because the only relationship C and H has commented on is their own, so that's the one I'm going to focus on.
But this is only the first week of February. We still have two birthday interactions and Valentine's Day interactions to look out for.
