Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“You should put the flowers in the water before they start fading,” Oh-Aew says when they aren’t too far away anymore from where the last guests reside in the garden of the hotel. Both families are still there, as are close friends of Hoon and Nozomi. All the others left after the reception when Oh-Aew had caught the bouquet of flowers that Teh is now carrying like a treasure.
On the short walk back along the beach they joked a bit about the instagram post and what possible reaction Teh’s manager was going to have. In reality it’s not a joking matter, something that might have consequences for Teh’s career and cause an outcry amongst his fans, they both know this. So far Teh has kept his private life out of the press as much as possible, even him dating his female colleague was merely a rumor. And yet, with one post Teh has pretty much revealed that he is no longer single and that he’s not exactly straight. All that doesn’t matter at the moment and these problems will all still be there come tomorrow. Now that they are closer to the wedding reception and their new reality, Teh feels himself getting nervous about this, about facing his family and friends and showing them that he’s got Oh back, even if that’s a very good thing. So good, that Teh has trouble believing that it’s real.
What a ride this day has been: First he had been hopeful that Oh-Aew would show how up, then disappointed when he didn’t. Surprised when Oh-Aew was suddenly there, insecure when Teh didn’t know how to approach him or what to say. Contemplative, when the party was slowly coming to an end and they still hadn’t exchanged a word. Sad, when Oh-Aew had sounded like he didn’t ever want him back, resigned when he thought he was offering friendship, happy when he understood that he was given a second chance. Ecstatic after the kiss, mischievous when he posted the picture, calm when he had Oh-Aew back by his side as they walked back to the hotel.
And now: Nervous. Still lighter than he has felt in a long while, but nervous.
“Do you, uhm,” Teh scratches his neck with the hand that still holds the flowers, because he really doesn’t want to let go of Oh-Aew’s waist any time soon. “Do you want to come… to my room when I put the flowers, uhm, in the water?”
Oh’s keeps rubbing circles on Teh’s waist with his thumb as he studies him with wide eyes. “I think we should take this slow. Go on a date or two and get to know each other again, before… you know,” Oh replies slowly, but sounds sure of what he wants– or doesn’t want in this case.
Teh thinks about whether he should clarify that he simply doesn’t want to part from him and wasn’t necessarily thinking about sex… not that he wasn’t either because if it happened then he wouldn’t be opposed because kissing him had felt so good and he wouldn’t mind going further and, like he wants to…– but then decides against it and simply nods. Dates sound good, every second he gets to spend with Oh sounds good.
“Sure.” Teh smiles and pecks Oh’s lips again before they round the corner where everyone will be able to see them. Neither even considers letting go and losening their arms around each other. Teh can feels his mother’s eyes on him as soon as they step onto the lawn. She takes them in and gives them both a large smile when they look at her.
Teh knows that his mother did not only miss Oh-Aew, who she’d come to think of like a third son, but she had also been disappointed when Teh confessed why they had broken up. Teh has also never bothered to introduce his girlfriend to her because somehow that hadn’t felt right.
“What do you think: Is she going to hug us and squeeze us to death or give us an embarrassing and emotional speech?” Teh asks Oh-Aew, who snorts as he starts laughing and elbows him gently in the side.
“Wait until my mom gets her hands on you. She might really give you the third degree,” he warns Teh, but squeezes his waist in a way that lets Teh know it most likely won’t be as bad as it sounds.
“Does she hate me?” He still asks.
“No. I think she’ll be happy we’re back together. She worried a lot about me while we were apart. I wasn’t ok for a long time.”
“I’m sorry,” Teh feels the need to say again, even after all the apologies and confessions he’s done before. He hates the fact that he caused Oh-Aew so much pain. Sure, there were problems in their relationship before and Oh is right when he insists that they need to talk about their problems this time, both of them, and that they can’t give up as easily. Still, ultimately it was him being unfaithful and inconsiderate that caused the break-up.
“I know. Enough of that now,” Oh-Aew tells him and gives his waist another squeeze as they reach Teh’s family.
“I see you stole his flowers,” Hoon teases Teh when he sees the bouquet his brother is carrying.
“I didn’t. He gave them to me,” Teh says and can’t help but grin from ear to ear as he brings the flowers to his face to smell them again. He already knows he will keep them as long as possible and then dry them after; Keep them as a visible reminder of the second chance with Oh he has been handed and just how lucky he is.
“Did you really?” Hoon addresses Oh-Aew, like the way their arms are still slung around each other leaves any doubt that they are back together.
“Mmmh. Sunflowers didn’t bring us any luck, so I thought I’d try with these,” Oh shrugs but smiles as well.
“My boys, I am so glad you are back together. I always knew you would find each other again, even if this one here messed up,” Teh’s mother supplies after hugging them both tightly.
“You told her?” Oh sounds surprised.
“I fucked up, no point in hiding it,” Teh tells him and barely dodges the swat of his mother which he knows is about the language he just used. Oh-Aew just laughs.
“You want some champagne?” Hoon is apparently done with the topic.
“Sure,” Oh-Aew nods and takes a glass from the waiter Hoon waved over.
“I think I’m gonna go and place the flowers in a vase. I’ll be right back.” Teh shakes the flowers slightly.
“Ok,” Oh nods, but looks as reluctant to let him go as Teh feels about leaving, even if it’s just for a minute. Ultimately, he quickly pecks Oh’s cheek and then hurries off. The sooner he leaves, the sooner he will be back by Oh’s side.
It might be ridiculous that Teh decided to stay at the resort and not at his own home, but when he had made the decision he wanted to feel closer to Oh, even if he still feared at the time that Oh might not be there himself. Now though that he is very sure that Oh-Aew will stay here, even if it might not be in the same room as him, he is still glad he made the decision to stay.
Back in his room the only thing Teh finds to place his flowers in is a glass meant for his toothbrush. But it works and Teh quickly hurries back out, remembering to take his keycard at the last second. Teh is in such a hurry that he nearly bowls over Oh-Aew’s mother when he reaches the hallway.
“Oh… sorry,” he quickly says and steadies her, before she can tumble into the wall beside the staircase.
“Teh,” she smiles at him. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Yeah, you too,” he replies shyly and scratches his neck. This is really uncomfortable, even more so by literally running into her.
“Also good to see you with Oh again. I spotted you two coming back from the beach from the window in the sitting room.”
“Oh.” Teh doesn’t really know what to say.
“I’m glad you two made up. I hope it’ll last this time. Oh-Aew loves you a lot, you know, and I know you love him as well.”
“I do.” Teh confirms and wants to say so much more, but at the same time not. He wants to to go back to Oh-Aew outside, before he has to let go of him for a couple of hours when the party will come to an end.
“I’m happy you’re back.” Oh’s mother gives him a gentle hug. “You have to tell me all about your acting career and give me all the gossip about your series. I’m a huge fan, you know.” She tells him once she lets him go again.
“I will, I promise.” With that he is off again, running back to the garden and to Oh-Aew.
He finds him where he left him, chatting and laughing with his family. Teh stops a few meters away to take in the picture that makes his heart beat faster and happiness bloom in his chest once more. He never thought he’d have this again, Oh-Aew back by his side and with his family, right where he belongs in Teh’s mind.
He closes the remaining distance and wraps one arms around Oh-Aew’s waist and takes the glass of champagne from him with the other.
“Hey, that’s mine!” Oh-Aew protests half-heartedly and smiles as Teh takes a sip.
“Oh-Aew just told us about your play. I’m sad we weren’t there to see it,” Nozomi tells Teh. Teh had invited all of his family to see it, but Hoon and Nozomi had been in Japan at the time and this mother couldn’t leave the restaurant in the middle of the season.
“He didn’t even stay for the first half of it,” Teh replies truthfully, but makes it sound teasing and softens the blow by running his free hand up and down Oh’s back.
“Your own fault,” Oh sticks his tongue out at him and the happiness that bubbles up inside of Teh feels as prickling as the bubbles in his glas of champagne. It’s tickling and warm and just nice –all because of Oh’s habit of making grimaces. So Teh laughs and then blows air into Oh-Aew’s face jus like he did years ago, when they were still teenagers and happy but overwhelmed with the enormity of their feelings for each other. It’s amazing, isn’t it, that teenagers that young can really fall in love in the once in a lifetime kind of way? Sad thing is that they didn’t understand what they had back then, couldn’t, because of their age and the lack of experience. Teh now knows just how special it is what they have and so does Oh-Aew. They were still in school when they fell in love and now they are both adults, both done with university and working, but they still love each other, despite everything.
“So Teh, son, you two will join me for dinner tomorrow night? Now that you’re both here,” his mother brings them both back to reality and stops their playful non-verbal banter.
“Uhm, I don’t know,” Teh looks towards Oh-Aew, because he really has no idea what Oh’s plans are. They haven’t really talked about it.
“What about your manager? Will you be able to stay until tomorrow night?” Oh-Aew asks him quietly, his large brown eyes wide and a bit worried.
“I don’t know. I mean I planned to stay for a couple more days, but you’re right. I have to wait and see what she’ll tell me tomorrow. What about you? You have some days off?”
“I have to go back tomorrow afternoon.”
“Aw, that’s too bad,” Teh’s mom jumps back into the conversation.
“Another time, ok ma Sui?” Oh charms her with his most winning smile and of course she accepts it and pats his cheek. Teh can feel his heart jump in his chest.
***
Later, they say good night in front of Teh’s room door, when Oh-Aew walks him back to his room without any real reason. Teh still hopes that Oh will spend the night, but refrains from saying so. Instead he pulls him closer against him as Oh-Aew presses him up against the door and kisses him. Teh kisses back as his hands travel up and down over Oh’s wide white shirt, while Oh-Aew runs his fingers through Teh’s hair, angling his head the way he wants. The kiss is wet and loud as they taste each other, explore, suck, nibble and familiarise themselves with each other once more.
“Good night,” Oh-Aew pants against Teh’s lips, his hot breath tickling Teh’s skin.
Teh is unable to form any words, so he just groans and lets his head bump against the door and closes his eyes. He can hear Oh-Aew’s quiet chuckles which sound breathless still. Then he feels Oh’s nose bump against his cheek, followed by his plumb lips pressing a kiss there.
“You’re a tease.” Teh opens his eyes and takes in the wide smile on Oh-Aew’s face and knows it’s mirrored on his own face.
“But I should really go,” Oh-Aew slowly pulls back. “Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow morning?”
“Yeah.” Teh pulls him close again and gives him another lingering kiss, before he finally lets him go. Teh puts his hands behind his back, squeezes them between his thighs and the door, so he is able to let Oh-Aew go for now. It might just be for the night and Teh knows it’s ridiculous and immature and every other thing along these lines, but he can’t help it. The intensity of his love for Oh-Aew is overwhelming and all consuming, even more so than when he fell for him for the first time all these years ago.
Somehow, Teh makes his way into the room after watching Oh-Aew walk away from him. He undresses and quickly stops at the bathroom, before he drops onto the bed and stares up at the ceiling of his hotel room. He should be exhausted from the day and in many ways he is, but with the excitement still burning inside of him sleep feels like a thing very far away.
Teh tosses and turns, squishes the pillow into a ball, then flattens it again. His feet are freezing, so he pulls the blanket over himself, just to kick it off when he feels too warm. Slowly he lets his own hands wander over his upper body, then further down. He stops, just when he has slid one hand down his boxer shorts. It wouldn’t be the first time that he brings himself off to fantasies of Oh-Aew – of his lips, his mouth on him, his body underneath him, his own hands on Oh-Aew’s milky skin – but tonight it doesn’t feel right and so he stops.
Nothing feels right, because Oh-Aew is not by his side. He’s in his own room, his childhood bedroom where they spent some nights together back before they left for university, and is most likely fast asleep. Oh-Aew was always someone who could fall asleep in seconds anytime and anywhere. That’s why he never quite understood Teh’s worried tossing and turning and his borderline insomnia.
Teh thinks he dreams the quiet knock on his door, but then the door is opened with another keycard from the outside and Teh freezes. Uninvited night-time entries to hotel rooms aren’t usually a good sign.
Teh can smell him before he sees him and he knows Oh-Aew must have taken a shower.
“Hey,” Teh whispers into the dark when he feels the bed dip. “Thought you wanted to spend the night apart and sleep in your room by yourself.”
“Mmh…Can’t sleep,” Oh-Aew mutters and lies down beside Teh and takes a moment to snuggle up to him, arranging everything to his liking, just like a cat.
“Ok,” Teh smiles as calmness flows through him and quiets his nervousness. He pulls Oh-Aew closer and buries his nose in his hair for a moment to breathe him in. He can’t help it and places a kiss on Oh-Aew’s hair. To his surprise Oh-Aew tilts his head up and catches his lips in a soft kiss.
Already, Teh has no restraint left and deepens the kiss, turns it into the kind of kiss he dreamed about earlier when he let his hands wander over his body.
Now it’s Oh’s hands who grip his back and his hair, Oh’s body which pushes against his. Oh seems to feel as needy as Teh, which is a relief and cause for confusion at the same time. Wasn’t he the one who wanted to wait? And now he’s come to Teh’s room and rubs against him. Teh wants this, of course, but he also doesn’t want to fuck this up already because this second chance means everything to him.
“Oh….” Teh tries to speak, but it comes out as a groan and Oh-Aew only deepens the kiss. “Oh… wait,” Teh finally gets out and stops Oh just when he wants to slip his hand into Teh’s boxershorts.
“Mmmh?” Oh looks dazed and already thoroughly ravished: His hair is a mess, his lips a red and swollen, there’s a hickey on his neck and a blush on his cheeks. He looks so sexy that Teh needs to kiss him again, stopping what he wanted to say for a couple more minutes.
When he finally does speak their hips are pressed together, seeking friction in all the right places and his own underwear is pushed halfway over his hips so Oh-Aew has access to his naked skin as he grabs his butt cheeks with both hands.
“Wait… sorry, Oh,” Teh stills their hips with one hand and cups Oh-Aew’s face with the other so he looks at him. He nearly gives into the temptation again when he sees Oh-Aew’s kiss swollen lips. “You wanted to wait.” He swallows hard but keeps looking at him and doesn’t miss Oh-Aew turning even redder.
“I know, I…” He swallows hard. “I still want to… to wait… but….fuck.” Oh-Aew hides his face with his hands as he rolls onto his back. “Sorry, got carried away. I didn’t want to tease you, he mutters from behind his hands.
Teh slowly takes his hands off his face and kisses him gently. “You don’t need to apologise. I just didn’t want to fuck this up the first night… literally,” he smirks in the end and Oh-Aew snorts before slapping him lightly on the shoulder.
Then he turns serious again. “You’re really ok with this? Waiting?” He asks Teh.
“Of course. We’ve spent a lot of nights together without having sex.” Teh is still unable to keep his hands to himself and so he slowly rakes his fingers through Oh-Aew’s hair as he leans over him after pulling his shorts back up.
“Mmmh, too many nights. We were stupid,” grumps Oh and makes him chuckle.
“How did we even manage? I can’t stop touching you right now,” Teh wonders aloud. Everything inside of him is vibrating with need, he’s still hard and he can see that so is Oh-Aew. How is it possible that back then they went months with barely seeing each other, and once they did all they did was exchange some chaste pecks and fall asleep next to each other. When did the awkward fumbling and the funny trial and error that turned into passion at some point become just nothing? It didn’t even fizzle out, it just… stopped. Teh doesn’t get it, when right now there’s a passion so overwhelming inside of him, that he barely knows how to hold himself back.
“After Jay I always though that you just didn’t like me like this. That it wasn’t good for you and that’s part of why you fell for him. After I changed my studies you just stopped desiring me. Sometimes, it felt like we were brothers and not boyfriends.” Oh-Aew’s words are quiet and soft, but they still cut Teh like they’d been yelled at him and he freezes.
After a couple of seconds he starts his ministrations once more and runs his fingers through Oh’s hair, simply looking at him all the while as he thinks about how to reply.
“I don’t know… maybe. I was jut wondering the same thing and how it was even possible. I want you so bad right now… not only like this, but just… just having you here and being able to touch you and smell you and… how could we just stop back then? It wasn’t like it became a chore or anything, but we just stopped wanting it, I guess and then neither did initiate anything and we got used to not touching and not having sex?” Teh wonders aloud.
“And not talking and not fighting and not spending any time together,” Oh-Aew continues the list.
“Yeah.” Teh nods his head. “But I still loved you… still love you. I just, I think I just assumed you’d just always be there because we promised and so I stopped making any effort. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. I never told you how I was feeling and just assumed you didn’t care. Also, I didn’t want to fight.” In reply Teh kisses him softly and goes on to lay his head on Oh-Aew’s chest. It’s a position they usually did in reverse, but right now Teh wants to lie in Oh’s arms, surrounded by his scent and just be held. Oh-Aew does just that by wrapping his arms around Teh and now he’s the one to stroke through Teh’s hair, messing it up even more than it already is.
“Do you think you’re gonna be in a lot of trouble because of the instagram post?”
“I don’t know. My manager tried to call me earlier, but I didn’t answer. It can wait until tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you worried? Your career is so important to you. You should take care of it soon.”
Teh tilts his head up to look at Oh-Aew. “Soon. You’re more important right now, we are more important. Whatever happens, we can’t change anyway. Like I said, this is going to be the first problem we’ll tackle together, right?” Oh Aew nods. “But not tonight. Let’s sleep. We both have to travel back to Bangkok tomorrow.” By unspoken agreement it is suddenly crystal clear that Teh is going to travel back with Oh-Aew tomorrow. The though that Teh stays for longer without his boyfriend unimaginable to both of them.
Suddenly Teh feels dead tired again. Having Oh-Aew there is giving him peace of mind and also makes him comfortable and safe.
“Good night, dumpling,” Oh-Aew simply replies and presses a kiss to Teh’s hair.
Teh smiles and closes his eyes. “Good night.”
TBC?