Archive of Our Own

The vibe that day was, in fact, not very great. If anything, since evening the day before, both Bright and Win had been feeling somewhat off. They surely did not expect another wave of issue to come by, especially after doing a harmless live broadcast on YouTube and Facebook, but things were not as simple as it seemed to be.

On Monday morning, Win woke up quite early as usual, as he was going to get right back to work. In fact, he had another appointment in the GMMTV office building in the afternoon, which was why he had himself dolled up early in the morning. Thankfully, he was at his condo—not his own house—alone that day, because he did not feel like eating breakfast at all, and he would not want his parents or siblings to know that.

The day before—on Sunday evening, after both Bright and Win finished filming a live broadcast with Arm, they had gone back together, with Win being the designated driver for the two.

Things had been normal, for sure. They had a normal live broadcast, they played games, they had fun, this and that. As usual, Win would drive Bright back to the older’s condo in his Mercedes-Benz. Both of them had admitted that they had never been separated for more than a day and a half, which explained why they were often stuck together like glue. They were already used to each other’s presence every single day, that it seemed as if they had talked about literally everything together.

However, in the evening, after Win finally arrived at his own condo and started looking for updates related to their previous live broadcast, he realized that something went wrong.

It all started with a harmless search on Twitter, yet Win knew right away that things were not doing good. His thumb found itself clicking on a so-called viral video—with thousands of retweets and likes—of both Bright and Win bickering cutely in the middle of their live broadcast earlier, shared by a random person. There was literally nothing wrong with the trimmed video which was showed, which made Win wonder, how come this random 40-second video of their live get so many engagements?

As soon as Win scrolled down to see the replies, his eyes widened almost immediately.

P’Bright has no manners at all, seriously.

Why does he still have bad habits? I thought he had been in the entertainment industry for 7 to 8 years, but he acted as if he was still new.

He is so rude, even Nong Win and P’Arm looked uncomfortable 555

“What the hell is wrong with these people?” Win murmured under his breath, his eyebrows furrowing as he scrolled through more comments on the reply section. Each time he found a hateful reply directed to Bright, he winced, wondering why such resentful comments could have that many retweets. He even looked through the 40-second video over and over, trying to find what was actually wrong with the clip, only to find none.

After contemplating for a few minutes, Win took a deep breath, opening the LINE application and looking at his pinned chats right away. He noticed that Bright had yet to reply to his personal chat since earlier—when he had just arrived at his condo, which made Win heave a deep sigh and caused a crease to appear on his forehead.

Should I call him? Or should I chat him first?

Win hesitated for a second, before slowly pressing the call button through LINE to give Bright a ring. He then put his phone screen against his ear with his breath held tight, wondering whether the older would answer his call or not.

After minutes of not answering the call, Win nearly gave up in trying to reach the older out, thinking that maybe he should just bring the topic up tomorrow. They would meet each other again tomorrow, anyway. However, the sound of Bright suddenly accepting his call definitely caught him off guard, causing Win to almost stumble over his own words. Well, how was he supposed to ask about this matter, now?

“Yeah, Win?” Bright’s deep yet odd-sounding voice rang in Win’s ears, and the younger noticed that he sounded exhausted through the phone right away.

Win then heaved another small sigh, looking down on his lap as his free hand started fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt. “Did you... Open your Twitter?” He asked the older, sounding obviously uneasy as he spoke through the phone. However, instead of a verbal reply, Win could hear that Bright also sighed through the other side of the phone—which made the younger feel bad for a moment.

There was a deafening silence between the two, before Bright replied to his question. “...Yeah, I did. Why?” The older asked back. Win knew. Win knew that the older had only tried to sound casual and nonchalant through the phone, but it was not difficult for him to notice a slight hint of sadness and disappointment that could be heard through the older’s tone of speaking. Win knew that no matter how bad things went, Bright would not blatantly talk or show about how hurt he was, unless he insisted or persuaded the older to.

Bright had always been that thoughtful, he never wanted to burden the people around him—even the closest ones—with the troubles he faced, but Win did not like it. Not even a bit.

Win hummed a little, trying to structure his words and sentences properly in his head before answering, “P’Bright, don’t mind them, okay? I’m sure it’s going to be better. I want P’ to have enough sleep tonight. We still have some work to do together tomorrow, anyway. Don’t make me come to your condo and put you to bed by myself, mhm?” 

Without realizing, Win had already drawn a small smile on his lips while reciting the last sentence in a slightly playful tone. He and Bright had always been quite playful with each other, outside from work. They would tease each other, joke with each other, and so on—that it was somehow still awkward for Win to suddenly be serious towards Bright, outside from work. Nonetheless, Win’s tone of speaking was obviously still filled with worry, no matter how much the younger tried to play it off.

Suddenly, an empty chuckle came from the other side of the phone. “I... Know, I know, don’t worry. I’m fine, I’m fine. I will sleep now, it’s already late,” Bright said, attempting to sound friendly and cheery, although it was obvious that he was not feeling a hundred percent fine. However, Win did not want to pressure the older to be honest about what he felt to him yet, especially since they were only talking through LINE call, as for now.

Win was still going to meet Bright the next day, anyway.

“Alright, I’m going to go to bed too, right now. Promise me that P’ will sleep, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow,” Win replied in a soft tone while quietly stretching his muscles, trying to make himself comfortable on his bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Win spoke—or rather, whispered—again to the phone. “It’s going to be okay, P’Bright.”

Hearing this, Win also received a reply in a form of Bright’s whisper, saying, “Thank you for checking up on P’ this late. You could’ve... You should’ve slept earlier.”

“Don’t thank me, P’Bright. Just treat me for lunch tomorrow,” Win answered right away, before chuckling away in a joking tone, which successfully brought the older to also chuckle to the phone. That chuckle sounded genuine, at least, Win thought to himself. “Just kidding, just kidding. Don’t thank me for real, I truly want to check up on you. Sleep now, P’, see you tomorrow, okay?”

And with that, Win went to bed, although it was clearly difficult for him to find some sleep throughout the night. He had tried to keep their conversation light and undemanding through the phone, but a part of his mind knew that the older must be overthinking and burdened with everything that was going on. In the end, Win kept anxiously tossing and turning on his bed, wondering if Bright was also like him—still awake even hours after midnight.

It’s okay, there will always be a next time. I can talk to him better tomorrow.

However, Win predicted everything wrong.

He thought that things would be better and cool down as Monday came, yet the situation got even worse.

In early afternoon, Win had already arrived at the GMMTV office building with his usual Mercedes-Benz. He was going to meet up with Bright and—of course—P’Eed to handle a few things related to their promotional works, where both of them had to shoot short promotional videos regarding Lazada’s 9.9 Big Brands Sale for their Instagram stories the next day.

Win had been literally eyeing Bright ever since the older arrived, since Win had come earlier than the older this time. He tried to observe the man, trying to see if there was anything worrying about his condition, and he found that Bright looked gloomier and more uncomfortable than usual—his smile did not even reach his eyes, his laugh did not even sound as jolly and merry as it usually did. Win thought that it was something obvious, though.

Of course his P’Bright would react that way, even when the people around him had somehow attempted not to bring up the topic whenever he talked with them in the office building.

Win was not that oblivious either. He had been on Twitter, probably since morning, and he realized how lots, even hundreds of haters or antis had been trending a negative hashtag related to the older, which had already reached Twitter’s top trending topics in just a short while.

The younger could only think about how unfair it was for Bright, that a handful of people twisted what actually happened during their live broadcast, and more spiteful and nasty people decided to take that opportunity to drag the man down for literally nothing.

Win, of course, realized how bad the situation was. Win even realized that the first person who started spreading rumors about Bright that day actually might be one of his own fans, especially since Win stalked the person and found that they had retweeted lots of contents related to him. It would be a huge lie if Win said that he did not feel guilty, because damn, he did. There would be times where Win would blame himself a little on the inside, especially since he thought that he was the reason why his P’Bright was particularly down, that day.

Nonetheless, Win’s manager had tried to reassure him, telling him not to act recklessly on his own and stay out of his social media accounts for some time being.

If Win could say out loud that he was literally not uncomfortable and that the haters had misinterpreted his expressions, because what happened was quite literally how close friends behaved around each other, he definitely would. However, the manager ended up telling him that trying to come to public and clarify everything on his own would only add fuel to the fire, which was why Win could not do anything to make the situation better.

The only thing he could do was to stay by Bright’s side, in the midst of all the mess which was happening.

“P’, have you eaten?” Win asked while taking a seat next to Bright on the sofa inside the meeting room, causing the older man to immediately look at where Win was, locking his phone right away afterwards. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Bright tried to put on a warm smile, then shook his head. “No, not yet. I’m not hungry,” The older replied, shrugging mindlessly before prying his gaze away from Win.

Win then hummed, leaning his back against the sofa as he heaved a small sigh. “Don’t make that your habit, you know—skipping your meals so often. You can get sick,” Win softly nagged at the older, reaching a hand out to gently pat Bright’s back in a friendly manner.

He then heard Bright’s playful scoff, turning his head to find the older already looking back at him. “You literally skipped breakfast that P’Eed had to buy you something from the office canteen,” Bright replied, as a matter of fact. That somehow surprised the younger a little—Win did not expect the man to actually know the smallest details about him, but he really did.

Rolling his eyes awkwardly, Win then landed a light hit on the older’s back. “This is about P’Bright, not about Win,” He stated, randomly addressing himself in a third-person point of view before he straightened his back. “Want to go home with me, today? I’ll treat you for dinner,” Win continued again, wriggling his brows at Bright.

For a second, Win could see how the older was somehow hesitating to answer the question. But, he stayed silent, randomly tapping the pads of his fingers against Bright’s back while waiting for his response.

“That sounds... Good,” Bright replied in a low tone, nodding away afterwards. Although Bright’s smile still somewhat looked force in his eyes, Win decided not to push it further, and he only threw the older a smile back. The younger then threw his arm over Bright’s shoulder, gently gripping the man’s upper arm in a comforting manner. “Let’s leave after we’re finished here, yeah?” Win said, without noticing that the smile on his own visage had grown wider and wider.

They both really ended up leaving the office building together, after taking care of a few materials related to their work as a couple.

What Win did not expect was the fact that there were fans of them, who were actually already waiting for them in the GMMTV office building. Win could only wonder, how in the world did their fans find out about their whereabouts? He was truthfully more concerned for Bright, especially since fans had already had their phones out—pointing towards them—as soon as they walked to the parking lot, and Win noticed how Bright looked a little uneasy while being surrounded in the little crowd.

Even when both of them were privately eating their dinner together that evening, Win noticed that Bright had gotten a lot quieter, even though he knew that the older would always say the most random things whenever it was just the two of them.

Whenever the older would go to the toilet, Win would take his time to unlock his phone and check his Twitter once again, trying to see whether the situation had gotten better. It had not, unfortunately. The negative hashtag was still a trending topic on Twitter, and that was all it took for Win to sigh once again.

It was definitely difficult for him—especially with all the guilt he had been feeling, as well as the fact that he still had yet to bring up this topic towards Bright in their conversations. Win had only been bringing up casual topics while conversing with the older, such as when did you sleep last night? or why is P’Kik not coming with you today? or when are you planning to bring your cat back home?

The fan-taken videos of them in the parking lot were starting to spread around between the fans, though. Several videos showed Win with his blue sweater and Gentle Monster sunglasses entering the driver’s seat of his car, whereas Bright with his white hoodie took the passenger’s seat on the other side of the car. Several other videos showed Win driving out from the GMMTV office building while greeting the waiting fans, with Bright seeming sullen and silent inside the car.

OMG... I’m glad that they were at least together today, my worries went away almost immediately T-T stay strong, our Bright!

To those who said that Win didn’t care about Bright at all for not speaking up, WATCH THIS YOU MFS.

Bright looked so quiet inside the car... I hope he’s okay ngl :(

Feel better soon, Bright!!! I miss your smile so bad!!! Thank you #winmetawin for being with #bbrightvc na, please take care of him <3

Reading all of the positive and encouraging comments left by their fans for each other, Win could only draw a relieved smile on his visage, realizing that maybe their little moments together which were caught on fans’ cameras could strengthen their fans and made them feel slightly better—at least for now. He was unsure about Bright, though, since the older had been keeping himself away from his phone all day, only using it when he had to make an important call or send a text message.

Win was pretty sure that Bright distanced himself from his interactive social media accounts—especially Twitter, and was only online on Instagram to like some posts in his Instagram home page.

And here Win was, finding himself—and Bright as well—arriving in front of Bright’s condo, both of them still inside Win’s car. After they both arrived, Bright unbuckled his seatbelt, gathering his belongings before he turned to Win, wanting to thank the younger for driving him back as usual. He had always brought Bright back to his condo no matter how late it was, yet the younger never really complained. However, Win was already tensing ever since he drove back from the restaurant—where they had dinner together—to Bright’s condo, even until that moment.

Before the older could utter a single word, Win immediately turned to Bright and asked, “Can I stay over tonight?”

That question surely caught Bright off guard, as Win could see how the older’s eyes widened ever-so-slightly in surprise, which probably would not be caught if Win had not been attentive towards him. Bright then started to blink his eyes nervously, swallowing a lump in his throat before calmly nodding his head, giving Win some sort of confirmation that the younger was allowed to stay over in his condo for the night.

“Sure... Sure thing.”

That evening went quietly, just like what Win had expected earlier. Win only sat down on the sofa, eyeing Bright and his behavior as soon as they were both inside the older’s condo. Bright himself did not ask or talk much—if anything, Bright looked as if he did not want anyone to talk to him, although he did not exactly make it clear and be vocal about it. Therefore, a few hours after they arrived at Bright’s condo, Win decided to be cautious around the older as well, only speaking when it was necessary.

However, Win knew that things could not continue that way.

Even when it was late at night, Bright still received a lot of phone calls. It would be either from his mom, his uncles, or other people—Win did not exactly recognize who—who were all concerned about Bright’s condition after the situation blew up on Twitter that day. Deep inside his heart, Win was glad that there were so many people checking up on the older. That was one of the ways for Bright to remember that there were many people who cared for him, including Win himself.

“...I understand, P’, I will be okay. We can talk about the details related to the tracking tomorrow, I should go to sleep now. Win’s here with me anyway. Yes, he’s here. Yes. Yes. Okay. Alright, understood. Good night, P’Kik.”

After Bright ended another phone call from his uncle, Win went to the bed, positioning himself next to the older. He could clearly hear the tired and frustrated sigh coming from the older, and he made himself comfortable right away, plopping himself on top of the bed and lying down on his side. Win had already gotten used to it—the boy often had random sleepovers at Bright’s condo whenever he felt like it, although the fans probably did not know about that. Thus, he was already familiar with the man’s place.

Another uncomfortable silence went by, as neither of them knew what they were supposed to say to each other. However, Win decided to break the silence.

“P’Bright,” The younger started, tilting his chin up slightly to lock his eyes with Bright’s sad gaze, observing even the slightest change of expression the older had. “Today has not been that great, yeah?” Win continued, furrowing his brows slightly as he slowly brought himself up, comfortably sitting with his back leaned against the headboard of the bed.

Although Bright did not verbally answer, Win could see the way the older slowly nodded, through the corner of his eyes. Then, it was Win’s time to heave a sigh, as another pang of guilt started to strike his chest. No matter how many times he tried to push his negative thoughts away, Win could not help but to somehow, implicitly, blame himself for the situation Bright had to go through, at that moment.

Win had always been an overthinking person, and he had even talked about it before, during that one episode of Woody FM. He had always been worried and concerned about everything related to his social media, especially since he was also easily affected by people’s comments, be it good or bad. Therefore, no matter how much Win tried to convince himself that it was literally not his fault, he felt somehow responsible for the older.

It was not completely because of that, though. The fact that Win always stuck around Bright for the entire day that day was not a hundred percent because he felt responsible, but also because he genuinely cared for the man. Win did not know whether it was some sort of connection thing between them both or not, but whenever he could detect that Bright was not feeling well, he would somehow feel sullen as well. When the older seemed cheery and playful, he would end up being playful and loud as usual as well. It had always been like that for Win, and he did not even know since when it started.

Realizing that Bright had yet to answer him, Win shifted closer towards him on the bed, gently placing one of his arms on the older’s back. As soon as Bright properly met his eyes, Win parted both of his arms while offering the latter a small smile—trying to offer Bright a hug, perhaps. Only if the older would want to hug him, though.

“Mhm?”

After hesitating for a while, Bright emitted a sigh for the umpteenth time, before letting himself fall into Win’s embrace. The older snuggled against the crook of Win’s neck right away, seeking for warmth and comfort as he felt himself starting to crumble apart at the affection Win was giving him.

On the other hand, Win finally smiled in a genuine manner, somehow relieved that he could have Bright in his arms, at least for the night. In a gentle and protective manner, Win wrapped his arms around Bright’s torso, pulling the latter’s body closer towards him as he started soothingly caressing the wide span of his back. “It’s okay, let go,” The younger comfortingly whispered right above Bright’s left ear, all while tightening his hug around the man.

And that was it. Seconds after Bright was finally in Win’s embrace, the younger could hear some sobs coming from the older. They sounded weak, muffled, and small in his ears, yet Win could feel himself hurting as well, as soon as he listened to Bright’s painful sobs and cries.

A few minutes passed like that. With Win who was holding Bright in his arms, comfortingly humming a calming tune against the older’s ear, whereas Bright was still burying his face against the crook of Win’s neck. The man’s sobs had gotten smaller and smaller, until they turned to little sniffs. Both decided not to say anything to each other just yet, mainly because Win thought that it would be better for Bright to let everything out first, before they could handle a conversation.

This was not the first time for Win to see Bright being this vulnerable and sorrowful, which was why he understood what to do and not to do when he was with the older. If anything, this was probably the second time it happened to his P’Bright—of course, Win felt as if he was at fault for not preventing this to happen to him again. However, as for now, Win decided that he should be focusing on the person in his arms first and foremost.

“I’m sorry—sorry,” Bright’s hoarse voice snapped Win back to reality, causing the younger’s eyes to widen. In a gentle manner, Win pulled himself away from the comforting hug he had been giving the older, only to find that Bright’s visage was indeed still covered in messy tears. Win noticed how flushed red Bright’s cheeks and nose had become, and how traces of tears were still evident on his cheeks, chin, and the corner of his eyes.

Sighing lowly, Win used both of his palms to cup Bright’s cheeks, gently using the pads of his thumbs to wipe the latter’s tears away. “Why is P’ apologizing?” Win asked, using a light tone as he stared deep into Bright’s dejected eyes.

The older man just shook his head lightly, forcing out a small chuckle as he blinked away the remaining tears he had in his eyes. “Nothing, I just... I didn’t know I would cry again, today, after tearing up yesterday night,” Bright admitted, immediately avoiding Win’s gaze as he awkwardly stared at the younger’s chest instead, feeling lightheaded because of everything that had hit him since the day before.

Hearing this, Win huffed his cheeks, gently pulling the older into another hug. He placed his chin on top of Bright’s shoulder, inhaling the older’s sweet, musky scent before automatically closing his eyelids. “Don’t apologize, P’. Being sad and crying are humane, you know?” Win replied, gently caressing Bright’s nape with his palm. “You can cry as much as you need. I won’t let go of you.”

For a few seconds, there was another deafening silence in the room, as both stayed in their positions without even moving away from each other. Win then broke the silence, continuing what he said before. “If anything, I should be the one... Feeling sorry. I’m sorry, P’Bright,” Win said, trying to furrow his eyebrows as to hold back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes, as he did not want to make the situation even harder for both of them. He succeeded doing so, though—so much for being a rookie actor.

Without giving the older a chance to respond to him, Win continued, “I found out that the account who started spreading malicious comments about you was one of my... Supporters. I know, I’d been stalking since yesterday, and I... I don’t know, I feel responsible. I’m... Sorry.”

The younger then pulled back from the hug, breathing out harshly before doing the exact same thing just like what he did before—cupping Bright’s cheeks gently, and wiping away the remaining tears on the corners of his eyes. “But, I hope you know that you never deserve any of that. Everything that happened today—P’ didn’t deserve them at all. I know you, I know you’re an amazing person, and I know how kind you are,” Win added, putting on his smile as he stared at Bright, looking from his eyes down to his reddish nose and slightly parted lips.

“It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to not be okay. Whatever P’ is feeling right now, everything is valid. Your feelings matter too. Just remember that I will be here, whenever you need me to. Win will be here,” The younger finished, still caressing Bright’s cheeks ever-so-gently using his thumbs, before he finally sucked a deep breath, trying to push back all of the pain he had been feeling in his chest. Win kept telling himself that it was about Bright, not about him, and that he should prioritize the older to make sure that he was okay.

Win’s smile only got louder as he saw how Bright looked... A lot more content and calm, compared to how uneasy and uncomfortable the older was, throughout the entire day. Win then playfully pinched Bright’s already reddened nose, giggling lightly afterwards. “This sounds cheesy, but... Even when the entire world is against you, I’m going to stay beside you. Like this, like this.”

At that, Bright cracked a light chuckle, tearing his eyes away from Win’s gaze once again—out of embarrassment. “That’s really cheesy. Where did you even learn that from?” The older teasingly replied. Win could only return his chuckle back, feeling a little bit reassured once he could see how Bright was gradually feeling better, although he still had to brush away his teardrops from time to time.

That was what Win really, genuinely wanted Bright to know. That he would be there for Bright no matter what happened, that he got his back, that the older would never have to be alone. And it seemed that the older understood.

“Mhm? I read that from Pinterest, just let it slide,” Win cracked a random joke, laughing afterwards as he pulled Bright into his arms once again, letting the older find his own comfort zone while being in Win’s embrace. Little did Bright know, being able to hold him like that was also Win’s very own comfort zone. Win was relieved that Bright had always been comfortable with him, that Bright had always trusted him even at his most vulnerable state, that Bright had always been open towards him whenever it was just the two of them.

But, no, no. Win was definitely not trying to take advantage of the older’s situation at all. If anything, although it seemed selfish, Win wanted to be the one who could lift Bright’s mood up, no matter how silly and embarrassing he could be because of his effort. That was how much he cherished the older man’s existence in his life.

On the other hand, Bright could feel some parts of his burden disappearing, although it might be only for a while. Being in Win’s warm and comfortable embrace, there were lots of things Bright wished he could say towards the younger. About how thankful he was that Win had decided to stick with him for the entire day, or about how grateful he was that Win could easily read his emotions in a glance. Most importantly, about how Win literally should not be feeling sorry or apologetic for what had happened, especially since it was never the younger’s fault at all.

However, nothing else could come out of Bright’s lips as soon as he was surrounded by Win’s comforting scent while being in the younger’s protective and strong arms. His mind went blank at once, suddenly feeling sleepy and drowsy as he felt pampered by the younger man.

It’s okay, there will always be a next time. I can properly talk to him about those tomorrow.

“Rest your eyes, P’Bright.” Win had whispered against Bright’s hair, enticing a small hum out of the older in his current dozy state.

Thus, that was how both of them ended up sleeping for the entire night. Win fell asleep with his head leaning against the headboard, his arms tightly wrapped around Bright’s torso. On the other hand, Bright fell asleep with his head comfortably propped against Win’s wide chest, his arms loosely circling the younger’s waist. What was the most important that night was the fact that they found comfort in each other, and that was already more than enough, for them.  

“Where are we going again?” Bright asked.

It was Tuesday morning, and both Bright and Win were already inside Win’s parked car, as both of them were about to leave the older’s condo and head to another filming schedule. They woke up early that day, and although Win had jokingly complained about how heavy Bright was while the older slept on top of him, Win himself could not hide the fact that sleeping with Bright—literally—was one of the most comfortable feelings he had ever felt.

In fact, Bright looked a lot more cheerful ever since the older woke up with him in the morning, and Win could swear that he had never felt more relieved.

“To Siam Paragon, to film with P’Num. We will also meet P’Ann at 1837 TWG Tea in the mall. That’s all, I guess?” Win responded with a light smile, stealing a glance at the older man before immediately starting the engine of his car.

They both were met with another silence, after that. However, instead of a deafening silence, it was comfortable instead. Both of them remained quiet for some time, yet it did not feel uncomfortable or awkward at all. Instead, Win felt fortunate, seeing how Bright somehow returned to his usual self after sharing part of his burdens with him the night before. They surely had not had a long conversation about that matter just yet, but Win had let Bright knew that whenever the older was ready to talk, he would be there to listen to him.

Right before Win could step on the gas pedal, Bright’s voice suddenly interrupted him from his thoughts.

“Win,” Bright said. As soon as Win turned his head to look at the older, his eyes were immediately met with Bright’s lively ones, as well as a bashful smile painted on the older’s lips. Without even realizing, Win had already mirrored Bright’s smile, raising both of his eyebrows—signaling the older to continue what he was about to say.

“Thank you,” The older continued, before letting go of the breath he did not know he had been holding for the entire time.

At the slight warm gesture, Win’s smile only got wider, before a short chuckle slipped past his lips. The younger slowly snaked his left hand, intertwining his slender fingers with Bright’s calloused ones, then lightly brushing the back of the older’s hand using his thumb. Without saying anything, Win placed his right hand on the gear, shifting it, and returning his right hand on the steering wheel. He started driving out from Bright’s condo area, heading to Siam Paragon right away—with his left hand still lovingly interlaced with Bright’s.

They did not have to exchange any more word—both of them already understood each other, even without having to speak. They communicated using their eyes, the fans had said one day. And they were not exactly wrong.

Their label?

They had never thought about that, not yet. Frankly, Win had never really had a problem with labels, even after months of being with Bright and never being separated for more than one and a half day. People would think that it was dangerous, for not labelling the thing they had between them both, but Win surely paid no attention to people’s mainstream thoughts—he was sure that the older felt that way as well.

What mattered was the fact that they both knew. They both knew that they belonged with each other, and that they both understood each other the best, in the end of the day. As for Win, being hyperaware about their feelings for each other, being considered special and important in Bright’s life, and being the older’s support system to no end—it was enough for him. More than enough, most probably.

They had all the time in the world, anyway. As long as they were together, side by side, everything would be okay.