Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Five years later, First was twenty-three years old and somehow still chasing the same dream.

The path hadn't exactly been straightforward. Acting had never been the original plan; singing was. But singing opportunities were difficult to come by when nobody knew who you were, and acting opened doors that otherwise remained firmly shut. So First took supporting roles, appeared in commercials, accepted whatever opportunities came his way, and slowly built a name for himself.

Earlier that year, he'd signed with Domundi and started going by FirstOne professionally. For the first time, things felt like they were moving forward. His managers had already started talking about future projects and possible pairings. The company specialized in boys-love dramas, and while First hadn't officially debuted as part of an acting couple yet, everyone could see where things were headed.

Especially when Latte entered the picture.

Latte had joined around the same time as him, and the company clearly liked the idea of pairing them together. They were close in age, got along naturally, and looked good standing next to each other. The chemistry was there, at least enough for business.

First liked Latte, genuinely, and they became friends quickly. Which was probably why he felt guilty sometimes. Because no matter how many people he met, no matter how many dates he'd gone on throughout university, no matter how many attractive men crossed his path over the years, there was always a tiny part of him comparing them to someone else.

Three days, five years ago. A beach. A stranger.

The comparison wasn't fair; he knew that. Memories had a habit of becoming polished over time, sanding away imperfections until only the beautiful parts remained. Maybe the real Tle wouldn't have lived up to the version First carried in his head. Still, sometimes, late at night, he found himself wondering.

A few months after joining Domundi, he stumbled across a TikTok account while scrolling. At first, he barely recognized him. The account had hundreds of thousands of followers. The boy from the beach had become a man. His face was older now, sharper around the jaw, but his smile was the same. His laugh was the same. First remembered staring at his phone in complete shock. Because what were the odds?

After that, First tried not to think about it. And mostly succeeded, mostly.

A few months later, Domundi announced a new variety project, Domundi Friendship.

The concept was simple. Artists from the newest generation would live together while competing in various challenges involving modeling, acting, dancing, singing, and content creation. Winners would receive different rewards throughout filming, including private dinners with a person of their choosing. The company pitched it as a way for fans to learn more about the third-generation artists before future projects were announced.

First knew exactly what it really was: a chemistry test, an opportunity for audiences to see which pairings worked naturally. The cast consisted of all the newest artists. Himself, Latte, Namping, Keng, Thomas, Kong, TeeTee, and Gems.

Everyone already knew the unofficial pairings going into the show, who the company assumed would pair up. Thomas and Kong, Keng and Namping, and First and Latte.

Nobody said it outright because nobody had to; the company's vision was obvious. Thomas and Kong were like two peas in a pod, and even though Keng and Namping were a little shy, First was sure the show would help them clear things up; he was their unofficial ship’s captain anyway. The only problem was him. He knew Latte was a great guy, a nice friend to everyone, and they had chemistry. Enough for them to be cast for one of the upcoming shows, Love Upon A Time, alongside their seniors. There was just something holding him back, small, but there. He knew that going into the show, the company was banking on them, out of all the others, simply because of their casting, so they both knew it was better to just accept it; they were already friends anyway, and they worked well together.

Thankfully, Latte didn't make things weird; he simply went along with it, figuring their friendship would be a good backbone for their on-screen partnership.

When filming started, things actually turned out to be fun. The first major challenge involved modeling. Although First was a bit worried at the start, especially after having to go first, it turned out to be interesting. Learning new poses, getting to wear outfits that he would never have dared to try, and getting to be judged by someone in the industry was a new learning experience for him.

By the end, Latte, Thomas, Namping, and Keng emerged victorious. With Keng being the overall winner, his reward was a private dinner with a person of his choosing. The producers, clearly not wanting anyone left out, allowed several of the other contestants to spend additional time with whoever they selected.

Naturally, First and Latte chose each other. It made sense; they were trying to grow more comfortable with each other, and the dinner was nice. Easy. They laughed, talked, shared food, and took Polaroid pictures to commemorate their “date.” Everything was fine, yet while sitting across from Latte that evening, First found himself experiencing a familiar frustration. Because "fine" was all it was. Fine, not bad, not awkward, not uncomfortable. Just...fine.

And somewhere deep down, a part of him hated himself for making comparisons because Latte hadn't done anything wrong. He was kind, funny, and easy to get along with. Yet every time First found himself enjoying someone's company, a memory resurfaced. A bike ride along the coast, drinking coconut water along the side of the road, a cliff overlooking the sea, and a strawberry wine laced kiss beneath the stars.

Three days, always those three days.

Filming continued; challenges came and went. The cast grew closer, sleep schedules deteriorated, inside jokes multiplied, and everything was proceeding exactly as expected.

Then production informed them they would be relocating for the final stretch of filming, to a larger house with new challenges and fresh content. The boys packed their things and made the trip together. By the first hour in the new location, everyone had already begun exploring. First was upstairs with Latte and Thomas when a voice echoed through the house.

"Hello guys!"

A man's voice.

Something about it made First pause.

His heart skipped unexpectedly. No. That couldn't be—

Curiosity immediately spread through the house. Doors opened, footsteps sounded overhead. One by one, everyone began making their way downstairs.

First followed behind the others. The staircase curved toward the living room. He could already hear the conversation below. First, laughter, then another voice. The same voice, the one that had frozen him in place.

The closer he got, the harder his heart pounded. It was impossible; it had to be absolutely impossible. He stepped into the living room and the world seemed to stop. Standing near the center of the room was a man dressed casually in black cargo shorts and an oversized black and white floral button-down over a white shirt.

He was older, taller, more confident. But unmistakably Tle.

For a moment, First forgot how to breathe. Around him, the others greeted the guest enthusiastically. Some already knew who he was; others immediately recognized him from social media.

Questions filled the room, introductions, excitement, noise, yet First heard almost none of it.

Because after five years, hundreds of miles, and a lifetime's worth of changes, he found himself staring into the eyes of the boy he'd met on a beach. And judging by the look on Tle's face, he remembered exactly who First was.

The funny thing was that Tle wasn't supposed to be there.

Months before Domundi Friendship had even entered production, Tle had received an offer from the company.

At first, he ignored it, then he ignored it again, and again.

He appreciated the interest, but he already had a budding career. His TikTok platform had grown far beyond anything he imagined possible, opening doors into hosting, brand partnerships, and small entertainment work. Joining an acting company wasn't necessarily part of the plan. Eventually, after enough emails and messages, he agreed to sit down for a meeting. One meeting, nothing more. He fully intended to politely decline afterward.

Then he walked into the Domundi building and everything changed.

The meeting itself had gone fine; the CEO was friendly, and Tle knew that this particular company had been doing relatively well in their industry, so the opportunities sounded promising. But none of it was enough to convince him, not until he stepped out into the hallway afterward. A voice drifted through a partially open door; someone was singing.

Tle almost kept walking, almost. Something about the voice made him pause. It felt familiar. The room appeared to be a practice studio. Through the small window in the door, he caught a glimpse of several artists inside. Most of them he didn't recognize. Then one of them laughed and Tle froze.

Five years disappeared instantly. Sunlight, ocean waves, a stolen sandwich, and a birthday beneath the stars. The man turned slightly, and suddenly Tle was nineteen years old again, standing inside a surf shop.

He saw First, or at least, an older version of him. With the same smile, the same eyes, the same laugh. Tle stood there far longer than he should have. Eventually, someone from management found him still staring.

"You okay?"

Tle immediately looked away.

"Yeah."

The answer was a lie.

Because for the first time in five years, he couldn't stop thinking about the possibility that maybe some people really did come back into your life.

A week later, he signed the contract.

At first, Tle was placed in the fourth generation, which made sense; he technically joined after the third generation had already been announced for the show, and he had not had the time to meet the majority of his new coworkers because he was in the process of moving from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.

The only problem with this timing was that, in being part of a new generation, he would not be qualified to join the show.

Tle considered accepting it, then he marched into another meeting.

"So I’ve been thinking."

The staff member looked concerned already.

"That's a way to start a sentence."

"Can I switch generations?"

Silence.

"What?"

"Can I join third gen?"

The silence somehow became louder.

Eventually, someone asked why. Tle gave approximately six different answers, none of which was the real one. Somehow, against all odds, management agreed.

And just like that, Tle found himself packing his suitcase.

By the time filming had started, Tle already knew some things had changed, naturally. He was no longer some eighteen-year-old boy on vacation anymore; he was FirstOne now, an artist, an actor, and an aspiring singer. Above all, he was apparently a potential future acting partner for Latte. Tle noticed immediately; the company wasn't exactly subtle. First and Latte were constantly grouped together, interviewed together, paired during company-wide events, given countless opportunities to interact, not to mention paired up for an upcoming show. The setup was obvious.

Tle couldn't even blame the company; they looked good together, they seemingly got along quite naturally, so the chemistry worked. Still, every time he watched them together, a tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him of something.

Three days, that's all he'd ever gotten, three days.

And somehow those three days had lasted five years.

The first challenge after Tle’s arrival involved singing. Ironically, the one thing neither he nor First had stopped dreaming about.

They were all going to be competing for spots in a mini showcase, and out of everyone participating, only four of them would perform live.

When the final names were announced, Tle nearly laughed. FirstOne, Tle, and two others, Namping and Keng. Of course, the universe apparently enjoyed making things interesting.

The showcase itself went better than expected. The other guys loved it, and the judges gave some great comments. By the end of the night, FirstOne emerged victorious. As soon as the announcement was made, everyone's attention shifted toward him.

The prize was simple: a private dinner and a choice.

The room immediately erupted into teasing. Most people already assumed they knew what would happen. Latte looked expectantly, the staff looked hopeful, and a couple of contestants started whispering names under their breath.

First laughed nervously while looking around the room, then his eyes landed on Tle.

Five years of unforgotten memories sat between them.

Then First smiled.

"I pick Tle."

The chemistry became obvious almost immediately; neither of them intended it, it simply happened.

The conversation flowed effortlessly; the teasing returned within minutes. The comfortable rhythm they'd discovered five years earlier somehow remained intact despite the time that had passed.

Even the production staff noticed; several eyes turned toward them more than once throughout dinner, and one producer looked entirely too pleased.

Yet neither of them mentioned the beach, not once. Not on camera, not during interviews, not in front of anyone else. The secret remained theirs.

That night, once filming wrapped, the microphones came off, and the cameras shut down, for the first time all day, they were alone.

Tle sat cross-legged on one side of the bed while First occupied the other.

For a while neither spoke, then Tle laughed softly. The sound immediately made First smile.

"You remember."

It wasn't a question.

Tle looked at him; his eyes softened.

"I remembered the second I saw you."

The confession hit harder than First expected. Five years, and somehow he remembered too.

"The surf shop?"

Tle nodded.

"The seagull."

First groaned immediately.

"Oh my god."

"The sandwich."

"You remembered that?"

"I remember everything."

The room fell quiet; neither laughed this time because suddenly they weren't talking about a sandwich anymore. Or a beach, or a vacation; they were talking about five years. About wondering, about remembering, about carrying a piece of someone with you for longer than you expected.

Hours passed without either noticing. They talked about everything they never got the chance to talk about back then. Music, acting, the paths their lives had taken since that summer. Somewhere around three in the morning, First found himself staring at the ceiling.

"I honestly thought I'd never see you again."

The words slipped out quietly. Tle smiled; his expression looked almost sad.

"Me too."

A pause.

"I'm glad I was wrong."

Neither of them slept much that night. Neither particularly cared. Because after five years, they finally had more than three days.

As filming neared its end, the atmosphere around the house began to change; everyone could feel it.

The challenges were winding down, the interviews were becoming more reflective, and somewhere in the back of everyone's mind lingered the same question.

Who was going to pair up with who?

Domundi hadn't exactly hidden the purpose of the show. It had always been designed to help establish future partnerships and allow them to deepen their connections with each other.

The final decision, however, would be theirs. Despite how much the company may push two together, they had the ultimate choice in who they wanted to work with: no managers, no producers, no executives, just them.

A day before the final day, the cast was gathered together and informed of the final twist. Who they picked would be a surprise. They would be able to have last-minute conversations with each other, but they would then each be interviewed the next morning privately. During those interviews, they would select the person they wished to partner with moving forward.

That night, each artist would follow a red string. If the person at the other end had chosen them too, they would find each other. If not, they would find a teddy bear waiting instead.

The room immediately exploded into nervous laughter. Some people seemed confident; others suddenly looked terrified. First somehow managed to feel both.

That same evening, everyone scattered throughout the house to have conversations before the final selections the next day.

Thomas and Kong disappeared almost immediately; nobody was surprised.

Keng and Namping spent nearly an hour talking outside. Again, nobody was surprised.

First eventually found himself sitting outside with Latte, deciding to grab lunch while they talked.

Latte seemed relaxed, but noticeably quieter than what First was used to seeing from him. Despite that, Latte was the first to speak, and First took it as an opportunity to joke about the food.

From there, they seemed to drift into a comfortable conversation. Once again, it was Latte who took the chance to bring up their situation; First slightly tensed at the topic.

“I think we should talk things over, about what went down,” Latte started.

“What are your thoughts, Latte?”

First looked at his friend.

Latte took a second to collect his thoughts, “I’m.. I’m comfortable working with you. You know? We’ve been through a lot.”

First nodded, knowing exactly where the younger was coming from.

“I’m also comfortable working with you,” First admitted.

“I’m unsure about the partner that we’ll be choosing, and if you're going to choose me or not. But personally, I’ll choose you.”

First’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, but before he could respond, Latte continued.

“The point is, I don’t want to force you into picking me. You get it right?”

First nodded in understanding. He knew Latte also had some expectations coming into the show; it would be unfair to think the younger would just forget all about it because First was confused.

Latte looked at him, probably noticing his hesitant face; he reassured First.

“It’s your choice. I might feel a bit sad, but I think… it’s going to be okay.”

First smiled at the younger’s slightly awkward expression; they both ended the conversation there, agreeing that no matter what happens, they would still be friends. This would not be the end of their careers, only the start. Everything will work out in the end.

At some point during First and Latte finishing their talk, Tle came around in search of First. He asked to talk, so they went inside.

They ended up at the same spot as their mock date from the other night, and First could feel the nerves getting to him.

Tle looked at him and broke the ice.

“Can you guess who I’ll choose? Do you know that I’ll choose you?”

First’s stomach did a flip. Why did Tle’s confession make him more nervous than Latte’s?

“I…I kind of do.”

First looked at Tle, who was already looking at him, a hopeful expression on his face.

“But I also thought that you might choose someone else,” First admitted.

“It’s you,” Tle said with absolute clarity, which shocked First.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

First stared at Tle for one more second before looking down, as he contemplated the gravity of the situation.

“Okay. Truth be told, I’m choosing you. But I don’t know if you’d choose me,” Tle started, “I have reasons why I chose you, though.”

First held his breath.

“First reason is when I think about my passion and future career path. When I think of my future, I picture myself working with you. I love singing, and so do you, right?”

First agreed.

“When I sing with you, I feel like I sing better,” Tle went on.

First sat there as he found himself agreeing with the older. Tle was right; singing together brought a wave of confidence to First, one that made him try harder, sing better.

“I don’t know if you think the same, and I don’t want you to worry that… you have to choose me, leaving Latte stressed. And vice versa. In the end, if I wasn’t your option, and it was Latte, I already talked to him.”

First felt his heart break a little at how vulnerable both Tle and Latte had been with him; he felt worse knowing that he was going to end up disappointing one of them tomorrow.

Tle continued on, “Would I be sad? I would be because I had my hopes up; if our expectations aren’t met, we’ll be sad. But… you and Latte are still my brothers, alright? Latte was also worried about you choosing him.”

First took a breath, not really knowing how to respond to such a conversation without invalidating anyone’s feelings, so he just sat quiet and listened to Tle.

“Latte said he didn’t want to compete with anyone, especially me, because we’re brothers. He worried that we wouldn’t be the same, but I assured him that there was no way anything would change.”

And it was as if Tle could tell how worried First was, because he looked the younger in the eyes and said, “Same goes for you; you and Latte are brothers to me. I don’t want you to worry that your choices will disappoint me or Latte. If I weren’t the chosen one, you don’t have to feel sorry for me because I won’t be mad.”

The older’s words gave First a bit of peace, knowing that despite what happens, at least they would try to keep the relationships the same. They continued talking, and Tle eventually asked what First thought about his future. First brought up singing and how focusing on that in the future would be something his partner would have to support as well. First knew Tle was a good singer, which is one of the reasons he could see himself working alongside him, but his prior commitments to Latte had him holding back.

First couldn’t help but feel selfish for not wanting to make a decision. He was glad he had this talk with Tle, it gave him a chance to meet this current version of Tle. Still, getting to know Tle and seeing how well they could be together made the decision even harder.

After his talk with Tle, First went back out to wrap things up with Latte. There, they were able to have a more serious talk about what Latte planned for his future. First needed to be sure that the person he would choose had a similar mindset. On one hand, he knew that Tle favors singing; Latte currently does not. However, on the other hand, he and Latte are set to star in a drama together in the future; Tle coming in shakes that up should First decide to choose the older.

Luckily, Latte reassures First that no matter who he decides on, he will support First, but makes it known that he is actively working harder to train his skills to become a better artist. He knows he will eventually get better and be able to “catch up” to First.

Despite sharing the same passion with Tle, First was still worried that he might be throwing away his opportunity to work alongside Latte, someone he already had established a connection with, for a boy he barely knew.

His is 50-50, but something deep inside his heart is tugging him away from his original plan.

After everyone went to bed that night, Tle and First snuck outside to sit by the pool. The night air was cool, and for once, neither seemed eager to joke around. The decision hanging over them was impossible to ignore.

Tle leaned back in his chair.

"You know they're probably hoping you'll pick Latte."

First groaned.

"Thank you for reminding me."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

Because First did know; hell, everyone knew. That had been the original plan, long before the show, before Tle re-entered his life, before everything changed.

For a moment neither spoke, then Tle smiled.

"Go with your gut."

First glanced over.

"What?"

Tle shrugged.

"Whatever decision you make."

His expression softened.

"I'll be okay with it."

The statement somehow made things worse because First knew exactly how much courage it had taken for Tle to say it.

Then Tle laughed quietly.

"That being said..."

First immediately knew where this was going.

"Tle."

"I'm just saying."

"Tle."

"I'm choosing you."

First covered his face; the laughter that escaped Tle was warm and familiar.

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"Whether we're partners tomorrow or not."

A brief pause.

"I'd still choose you."

The words settled heavily in First's chest; the worst part was that he wanted to choose Tle too. He just wasn't sure he was ready.

The interviews happened the following afternoon. One by one, artists disappeared into the room. One by one, they emerged looking relieved, or terrified, sometimes both.

When it was finally First's turn, he sat down across from the producers and stared at the question card in front of him.

Who do you choose as your future partner?

His mind immediately supplied an answer.

Tle.

The problem was everything that came after.

The connection with Latte, the company’s expectations, his prior commitments, the uncertainty. What if choosing Tle changed everything? What if it didn't work? What if they were only getting caught up in the excitement of reconnecting?

The silence stretched. Finally, First looked up.

"I choose myself."

The producers blinked.

"What?"

First smiled nervously.

"If that's allowed."

It wasn't the answer they expected, but it was honest. Because if he couldn't confidently choose someone else yet, he wasn't going to pretend. He needed to make sure that he was not letting memories cloud his judgement; he needed to make sure that choosing Tle as a partner was the best for his career. He already knew that he had feelings for the man, and Tle most likely had feelings for him too. But liking someone and wanting to be with them should not be the sole reason for completely diverting from his career plan. He needed more time to try working with Tle before making such a big career move.

The finale arrived. One by one, artists stepped forward. One by one, they followed their strings. Friends found each other and partnerships formed.

Then it was Tle's turn, the moment he'd secretly dreaded. He followed the red string, step by step, trying not to think too much. Trying not to hope because hope had always been dangerous.

Eventually he reached the end and found a teddy bear waiting. For a second, disappointment hit harder than expected.

Tle sighed, then smiled and accepted it. What else could he do? In his mind, the answer was obvious. First had chosen Latte. And honestly? He couldn't blame him.

He sat down on the bench next to bear, then noticed a note attached to it. It read:

Filming wrapped shortly afterward. Eventually they all went back to the shared house, and Tle learned what First had actually chosen. Himself, not Latte, not anyone else, himself. The realization stopped him cold because suddenly the teddy bear meant something entirely different. It wasn't rejection, it was hesitation. A difference that felt enormous. For the first time since reading the letter, Tle allowed himself to hope again.

Tle got to have a conversation with First, who explained that he just wasn’t ready to choose; he needed to wait it out longer, and both Latte and Tle respected that.

The next morning, they all sat down and were told the finale was going to be a contest. Each pairing would compete to see who was going to be awarded their own main lead series, and those who were not paired up would be in a separate competition to win various prizes.

Ultimately, First came out not only the overall winner of the individual performances, but he was also awarded for being the “best friend.” Winning both a single for an upcoming soundtrack, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip, with a person of his choosing.

Tle would be lying if he said he wasn’t secretly hoping he would be chosen.

A couple of weeks went by, and Tle and First’s bond grew stronger; they were seemingly inseparable. However, the show was still in the works, so they had to keep up appearances; as far as fans were concerned, Tle was not even an official Domundi artist.

Finally the day came, the episodes started rolling out, and by the time Tle was introduced in episode 3, everything changed.

Viewers noticed, immediately.

The comments started after that first episode he came in and looked absolutely smitten. Hell, even watching it in his room, Tle could tell he was head over heels in love when they filmed the singing challenge.

The comments kept coming, then multiplied. Fans loved FirstOne and Tle together, the producers loved them together, the staff loved them together. Even artists from older generations started teasing them.

Week after week, clips of their interactions spread everywhere. Moments that felt ordinary while filming suddenly looked completely different from the outside. The looks, the conversations, the way they always seemed to gravitate toward each other. The chemistry was impossible to ignore. First discovered that firsthand while watching the episodes himself.

One evening he sat in his apartment replaying a scene from the singing challenge. Then another, and another. By the end of the night, he found himself staring at the screen because everyone else had seen it immediately. Yet somehow he'd needed months.

The chemistry wasn't forced; it wasn't fan service, it wasn't editing. It was real, and for the first time, First admitted something to himself. If he had to make the choice again…he'd pick Tle.

The opportunity arrived sooner than expected. As the winner, he was awarded that trip with the person of his choosing, and he knew exactly who he was going to take it with him.

When the last couple of episodes were airing, the company came to him to have him decide on who he was going to pick; it was not necessarily meant to be a partnership trip, but one where he could hopefully strengthen a bond with his pick.

When they came to confirm, he knew in his heart, without hesitation, he would pick Tle. He spent the last 3 months convincing himself that he needed more time, but the truth was Tle was it. He could no longer see a future without Tle in it; he wanted to work alongside the older and one day build a life with him. There was no other choice; he chose Tle.