diff --git a/packages/frontend/src/lib/services.ts b/packages/frontend/src/lib/services.ts
index 376ead9..8eb736f 100644
--- a/packages/frontend/src/lib/services.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend/src/lib/services.ts
@@ -220,18 +220,17 @@ export async function getVideosForModel(id, fetch?: typeof globalThis.fetch) {
 
 export async function getFeaturedVideos(
 	limit: number,
-	fetch?: typeof globalThis.fetch,
+	fetchFn: typeof globalThis.fetch = globalThis.fetch,
 ) {
 	return loggedApiCall(
 		"getFeaturedVideos",
 		async () => {
-			const directus = getDirectusInstance(fetch);
-			return directus.request<Video[]>(
-				customEndpoint({
-					method: "GET",
-					path: `/sexy/videos?featured=true&limit=${limit}`,
-				}),
-			);
+			const url = `${PUBLIC_URL}/api/sexy/videos?featured=true&limit=${limit}`;
+			const response = await fetchFn(url);
+			if (!response.ok) {
+				throw new Error(`Failed to fetch featured videos: ${response.statusText}`);
+			}
+			return (await response.json()) as Video[];
 		},
 		{ limit },
 	);
@@ -290,18 +289,17 @@ export async function getModels(fetch?: typeof globalThis.fetch) {
 
 export async function getFeaturedModels(
 	limit = 3,
-	fetch?: typeof globalThis.fetch,
+	fetchFn: typeof globalThis.fetch = globalThis.fetch,
 ) {
 	return loggedApiCall(
 		"getFeaturedModels",
 		async () => {
-			const directus = getDirectusInstance(fetch);
-			return directus.request<Model[]>(
-				customEndpoint({
-					method: "GET",
-					path: `/sexy/models?featured=true&limit=${limit}`,
-				}),
-			);
+			const url = `${PUBLIC_URL}/api/sexy/models?featured=true&limit=${limit}`;
+			const response = await fetchFn(url);
+			if (!response.ok) {
+				throw new Error(`Failed to fetch featured models: ${response.statusText}`);
+			}
+			return (await response.json()) as Model[];
 		},
 		{ limit },
 	);
diff --git a/packages/frontend/src/routes/+page.server.ts b/packages/frontend/src/routes/+page.server.ts
index 5b1e9e4..6c5a1f3 100644
--- a/packages/frontend/src/routes/+page.server.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend/src/routes/+page.server.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
 import { getFeaturedModels, getFeaturedVideos } from "$lib/services";
 export async function load({ fetch }) {
-	const [models, videos] = await Promise.all([
-		getFeaturedModels(3, fetch),
-		getFeaturedVideos(3, fetch),
-	]);
-
-	// Ensure data is serializable by converting to plain JSON
 	return {
-		models: JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(models)),
-		videos: JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(videos)),
+		models: await getFeaturedModels(3, fetch),
+		videos: await getFeaturedVideos(3, fetch),
 	};
 }