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It all starts with a picture that Phichit posts on Instagram of his dark skinned hand intertwined with a paler one and his left foot next to another person’s right one. The caption says: Taking a walk with the boyfriend <3.
His followers go crazy, his post reaches a new record of likes in the shortest amount of time and everyone is screaming in the comments. The speculation on who fashion and make-up icon Phichit+chu’s boyfriend is starts and Seung-Gil gets a bit nervous watching its popularity rise. He is hunched over his biology textbooks and stares at his phone. The app is open and he isn’t sure if he should like the picture.
He’s sure that it wouldn’t even stand out with the hundred thousands of likes, but he wouldn’t want to risk being outet as Phichit’s boyfriend. Of course, Phichit himself wouldn’t mind, but Seung-Gil knows that he is having a hard time with the media after his video on himself being transgender. So Seung-Gil doesn’t like the picture but instead procrastinates doing his homework and watches the hysteria unfolding. He’d agreed with Phichit on uploading the photo but somehow he hadn’t expected it to blow up quite this big. He’s gnawing on his nails and knows he’ll be scolded by Phichit later on. He doesn’t care, he’s too busy being nervous and living out his social anxiety.
His phone screen changes from the post to Phichit calling. Seung-Gil picks up immediately.
“Hey babe, you okay?” is the first thing Phichit asks, his voice soft and caring. Seung-Gil feels better immediately.
“Yeah. Well, no, I’m a bit anxious at the moment but I’ll be okay,” he says. Phichit is silent for a second then speaks up again:
“Do you want me to take it down?”
“No, your fans will have thousands of screenshots anyways so it wouldn’t vanish of the internet,” Seung-Gil says and the delighted “okay” from the other side of the line makes him smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? I have to film a new video,” Phichit says softly.
“Yes. I’ll see you, have fun. I still need to study a bit,” Seung-Gil answers.
“Okay, don’t overdo it, love you.” Seung-Gil can hear Phichit rustling in the background while saying goodbye.
“I won’t, probably. Love you too.” he answers and ends the call.
He lets his head drop onto his textbook, and he can’t stop smiling. He’s still amazed by the fact that he is actually in a relationship with Phichit Chulanont, internationally famous Youtuber and crush of a lot of non-straight guys. Also, his boyfriend. Famous, sparkly, lovely and happy Phichit is the boyfriend of bland, unknown, grumpy and studious Seung-Gil Lee. For almost five months now, and he still can’t quite grasp the concept of it.
They had met in a coffee shop (as cliché as it sounds) and while Seung-Gil had recognized Phichit he hadn’t made a move to talk to him because of his Social Anxiety. Phichit however had found interest in him, for whichever reasons and started up a conversation which had lasted for hours. They’d agreed to see each other again and after that again and again and again and somewhere along the lines they had started falling. Once again, it had been Phichit to make the first move, nervously asking Seung-Gil out on a date which they’d had and a few weeks and dates later they’d started their relationship. The last months had been some of the best he’s had in life and both Seung-Gil and Phichit where now comfortable enough with each other that they started making their relationship public. Slightly, at last.
Of course all of their friends and family knew, but considering the fact that Phichit lived in the public eye it was important for him to keep his fans updated as well. And Seung-Gil was fine with that, even though a bit nervous about it so they had agreed on taking it slowly. They were trying to keep their dates out of the public as well, so Phichit wouldn’t be recognized and Seung-Gil wouldn’t immediately be swarmed by fans and reporters or something along the lines. They are still figuring some stuff out between themselves after all.
Still, Seung-Gil thinks it’s time to slowly make it public and so he looks at the post once again before finally getting too his biology studies.
+
After having a fit for about a week, the Phichit+chu – community, wildly regarded and known as Chuchutrain (Phichit has a weekly laughing fit because of the name) has calmed down. There had been speculations on who the boyfriend was, but they had no clue. Phichit loves it. The next step is a moment in a collaboration of Phichit and Leo from Lion de la Igaysia. They are sitting on Phichit’s couch playing truth or dare with viewer’s questions. At the end of the video the probably most anticipated question is asked:
“Phichit, can you please tell us something about your boyfriend?” it’s read out by Leo who then grins smugly and throws himself in the mountain of cushions behind his back.
“Well, Phichit, can you?” he inquires while wiggling his eyebrows. Phichit blushes a bit, then grins.
“Why, of course I can, dearest,” he starts off, smile spreading wide “he is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. And he is really intelligent and sweet, though it doesn’t seem like it when you meet him. And he has a great dog and honestly the best natural growing eyebrows ever. Oh! His voice is really nice as well and he has beautiful eyes!” Phichit starts rambling, stops himself and blushes some more. Then he laughs.
“Let’s just say he is amazing,” he says and smiles sweetly before the video cuts to the end cart.
Needles to say that the internet is in hysteric fits once again. Seung-Gil is at Phichit’s flat when latter uploads the video and when he sees it, he can’t do anything but stare at it over and over again.
He is lying on the floor on top of one of Phichit’s soft carpet while his boyfriend takes a shower. Seung-Gil doesn’t bother getting up or moving a lot he just replays the moment until he can hear Phichit shuffle around his room. Then he starts reading the comments which basically consist of screaming and more screaming.
“What are you doing on the rug? I have other furniture that is perfectly fine, you know?” Phichit says from behind him.
“It’s soft,” Seung-Gil says. There is bit more shuffling and then Phichit plops down next to him with pillows and a blanket. He is wearing a baby blue oversized jumper with his hair still wet. His eyes flit to Seung-Gil’s phone screen and a tint of red appears on his cheeks.
“So you’ve seen it?”
“Yeah.”
“And, what do you think? Too much?”
“No. It’s… I don’t know. Very sweet- uhm. I don’t know how to deal with it actually,” Seung-Gil confesses. Phichit giggles.
“You like it, then?” he asks and settles his chin on a grey-yellow striped pillow. He hasn’t got any make up on at the moment, which doesn’t affect his beauty. Seung-Gil hums in approval.
“You’re going to be overwhelmed with questions about me though. Again,” Seung-Gil says. He starts fumbling with a loose thread in the carpet.
“I don’t care. I love you.” Phichit says and giggles again when Seung-Gil choke son his own spit. He’s just not used to the amount of affection yet. Phichit notices, smiles, gives Seung-Gil a short kiss on the cheek and then gets the blanket which he throws over them both. Then he launches into a story about Yuri Plisetsky throwing a hissy fit once again because his landlord hadn’t allowed him to get a sixth cat. Seung-Gil gets sleepy listening and nuzzles into his boyfriend before falling asleep. Phichit does, too and they wake up with aching backs but don’t care.
+
It’s a month after the video, that they drop the next bit. Phichit’s followers are trying hard to find out who the man dating their idol is and for once Phichit is happy that Seung-Gil hasn’t really got a big presence in the media. He would almost be impossible to find amongst his followers and since Phichit follows some of his fans regularly it won’t be remarkable that he follows Seung-Gil.
This hint, again, is placed in a video of Phichit’s. He’s doing a haul of his new bought clothes, as per popular demand, and somewhere in the middle of it he throws a shirt behind himself onto his bed, before sitting in silence for a few seconds.
“Babe?” he calls and fixes his look on somebody behind his camera.
“What is it?” another male voice answers from somewhere in Pichit’s flat. It belongs to Seung-Gil of course, but none of Phichit’s fans know that.
“Can you bring me some water please? I’m talking so much right now, my throat’s getting dry,” he says dramatically.
“You talk less than sometimes with your friends and don’t complain about your throat.” Seung-Gil calls back, even though the clinkering of glasses can be heard. A few seconds later a pale hand hands Phichit a glass of water. The fingernails are painted in a dark red shade and Phichit grabs the hand.
“Doesn’t he have flawless nails?” he asks the camera and Seung-Gil snorts.
“Yes, because you painted them,” he says and leaves after Phichit presses a fast kiss to his knuckles.
“Thank you for the water, babe.” Phichit calls and takes a sip.
“You’re welcome!” Seung-Gil answers and then the video is continued without further interruption.
In Phichit’s fanbase a new stage of analysing begins, as Seung-Gil realizes a few days later while innocently scrolling through Tumblr. It’s a bit ridiculous, really how hung up people are on getting to know him. Well, at least not directly him because they don’t know the person they’re searching for is him, but still. He doesn’t understand why they need to know him, why they aren’t just content on knowing Phichit is in a happy relationship. He also sees some discourse, since some people apparently shipped Phichit with Yuuri and were upset that Phichit had somebody else in a relationship. As if the marriage of Viktor and Yuuri wasn’t something to keep them from shipping in the first place.
The fans don’t have a clue though, they’re just guessing wildly into thin air without proof for anything. It’s amusing to Seung-Gil and later in the evening, when he and Phichit have dinner together they look through the theories and laugh together. Seung-Gil realizes once again how in love he is.
+
Another post on Phichit’s Instagram blows up in a few minutes once again. It’s a picture of Phichit in the snow that’s freshly fallen outside, with his back to the camera, next to him is Seung-Gil’s back, and he’s got his arm slung around the smaller one’s waist, while they lean into each other. The caption says: I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have you. It’s been seven and a half months but it feels longer. Love u <3
People scream and cry about having strokes underneath the post and Phichit cackles delightedly while reading them all. He can be cruel at times, Seung-Gil realizes then, while his boyfriend leans into him, shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Why are you this happy about them being hysterical?” he asks softly. Phicht turns and smiles brightly at him.
“I just think it’s funny how much the react. Don’t you think it’s a bit over the top?” he says and goes back to scrolling through the comments.
“I know the Katsuki-Nikiforovs ans Yuri Plisetsky, nobody will ever be more over the top than them,” Seung-Gil deadpans.
“True. Still though, they should chill a bit.”
Seung-Gil hums in agreement and then ducks his face into Phichit’s hair. It’s still surprising him sometimes how much he likes the body contact between them. But he enjoys it to the fullest.
+
The big reveal, as Phichit took to calling it, is a “My boyfriend does my makeup” video. It’s posted a year after the first mention of Phichit being in a relationship, almost one and a half years after they’ve gotten together. In the meantime they were mentions of The- Chu – Boyfriend as Seung-Gil was officially titled by Leo, in multiple other YouTuber’s videos, pictures of his eyes with makeup on had been posted on Instagram, there were shots of Seung-Gil’s body with Phichit’s new clothing line on them, without taking his face into the frame and gradually the hysteria had lessened after each post.
This would change soon enough, because currently, Seung-Gil and Phichit are seated in their now shared apartment in front of a camera, with makeup on the ground before them. Phichit grins and kind of waves at the audience, dressed in a red button up with cut off sleeves and shorts. Seung-Gil has been dressed by Phichit as well and therefore he is wearing a dark green shirt with white geometrical patterns on it and black jeans. He has makeup on already, that Phichit put on him and even he admits that it looks kind of good on him.
“Heyo there, my dears! So, the long awaited reveal is here! This is my wonderful boyfriend, Seung-Gil. He will be putting makeup on me today.” Phichit says excitedly and wraps one arm around Seung-Gils shoulder.
“Hi.” latter says, awkwardly and then looks at Phichit as if asking for help. The Thai grins and pecks Seung-Gil on his right temple.
“While he does that we’ll try to answer some of you guys questions, I mean you’ve basically been bombarding me ever since I said that Seung-Gil and me were a thing, so I hope I’ll be able to satisfy your needs a tiny bit,” he then continues and the video cuts to him pulling up his phone and Seung-Gil putting foundation on the back of his left hand.
“Okay, so the question that was asked the most i: “Who is you mysterious boyfriend?”. That kinda reminds of the good old times when Chris just started wearing his wedding ring without any explanation and everybody was guessing who his husband might be,” Phichit reads out.
Seung-Gil takes up a sponge and lightly dips it into the foundation.
“Please don’t talk right now, I need to put it on you.” he says and leans towards his boyfriends face.
“Well, back then I didn’t know any of you guys and I wasn’t really keeping up with the YouTube scene so I cannot say something from personal experience.” he then continues while tapping the sponge all over Phichit’s face to spread the foundation out on it.
“Though it seems comparable to what happened during last year with your fans,” he directs to Phichit who hums in agreement. When Seung-Gil is satisfied with the foundation he puts away the sponge and, after giving Phichit a brief smile, picks up the concealer.
“So, a lot of you wanted to know how we got to know each other? Well, I saw Seung-Gil in a coffee shop one morning and he looked very pretty, but also very tired and grumpy so I decided to chat him up and brighten his day a little and here we are now.” Phichit says while Seung-Gil busies himself with applying and blending the concealer in. It’s just needed beneath his eyes to cover up the bags “Also I was really attracted to his eyebrows,” Phichit adds. It earns him am muttered “furry” from Seung-Gil which leads to them both giggling stupidly.
Seung-Gil continues with putting contour on Phichit’s face and blending it while latter tries to answer the question on how they realized they were in love with each other, just to be continuously shushed by his boyfriend.
“Babe, stop talking now, you’re ruining everything otherwise. Also, I can talk about it,” he proposes.
“What am I ruining? I thought I was your everything?” Phichit gasps and dramatically clasps a hand over his heart.
“You’re ruining my sanity.” Seung-Gil says and they stare at each other for a few seconds before breaking into giggles again.
“Anyway. Phichit, please do stay still. I think I realized I’d fallen in love with him, like really in love was after we’d gotten together actually. He had just introduced me to all of his friends and we were sitting in Viktor and Yuuri’s apartment I think and I was just watching him talk. I realized it because he had spent all evening trying to make me feel comfortable and not left out and then he was leaning against me and smiled and I just knew.” he narrates and promptly blushes the moment he is done talking.
“Aw, man that’s so sweet!” Phichit coos and hugs Seung-Gil.
“I realized I was in love with him the first time he got really into telling a story about his dog and was just all smiling and enthusiastic and his eyes were shimmering and I was hit by his beauty like it was a train and somehow I think that was the moment.” he then says and Seung-Gil blushes again. Phichit kisses him on the nose.
“You can continue putting makeup on me now,” he says.
“Thank you, it’s such an honour to be ordered to do so.” Seung-Gil remarks, flatly and starts looking through the makeup littered on the floor.
To be honest he doesn’t really know what he’s doing and just tries to remember what Phichit did with him all the times he put makeup on Seung-Gil. Somehow he makes it work though, kind of. The video is filled with banter and inside jokes and they answer a few questions, like how Seung-Gils studies are going (good), how comfortable they are with each other (a lot), how their characters developed in the past year (Seung-Gil loosened up and grew more confident, Phichit’s sometimes occurring self-depreciation got better, they developed a new kind of trust in each other) and their shared plans for the future (unclear).
After finishing by putting a bit of highlighter on Phichit’s cheekbones Seung-Gil leans back and takes a look at his creation. It’s not as bad as he expected it to be. Sure, the eyeliner is drawn on shakily and Phichit’s eyebrows don’t look as good as they do normally and he may have used too much highlighter, but he’s happy with the result.
He hands Phichit a mirror and watches his boyfriend examine himself in it.
“You know, I kind of expected it to be worse. We can work with that! I’m gonna make you a makeup artist!” Phichit exclaims happily and grins at Seung-Gil with matte violet coloured lips. Seung-Gil really wants to kiss him, so he does. (Phichit cuts it out of the video in the end)
Phichit makes a surprised noise but immediately slides his hands into Seung-Gil’s hair and kisses back. They don’t really make out just kiss for a bit before pulling apart.
“There goes your lipstick,” Seung-Gil says and Phichit laughs.
“I don’t care, I think you did very good.”
They end the video soon afterwards, and in the evening Seung-Gil watches Phichit editing while Naree, his dog is comfortably draped over his own feet and they watch some kind of show. He doesn’t pay attention to it. It’s all focused on Phichit who looks up at him occasionally and then smiles softly.
When the video is uploaded Tumblr doesn’t work anymore for about an hour.