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Chapter Text

𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐂! 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔.𝐒.

Angrily shutting his phone, Krist let out a puff of air, his brows creased as he contemplated on the latest news swarming every media platform for the past few hours. His heart ached, as his eyes flickered over the glinting silver band simply placed on top of his coffee table.

The headlines have haunted him and made him remember everything that happened as if it were yesterday. Averting his gaze from the ring, he stood up from the couch, deciding to make himself forget everything just for tonight.

Heading over to the refrigerator, he found the big compartment at the bottom, containing cans of beer, and a big bottle of whiskey. His friends weren’t here tonight, as he insisted that he wanted to be alone. Grabbing the drinks, as well as a glass and a bucket of ice, he went back into the living room and sat on his carpet, facing the living room table.

Opening his first can, he poured it on the glass filled with ice cubes and downed everything in just one go. With a burning throat, he groaned and continued to empty the glass.

Finally, something other than his heart started to hurt.

______________________

A bundle of luggage and bags lay on the bed, as Singto filled in his cabinet. He’d brought everything home, from his new clothes to the bags of souvenirs and chocolates he got from abroad. He was too busy arranging his clothes to even think about everything that will happen now that he’s back.

Grabbing his black t-shirt from the messy carry-on, he heard a sharp sound, something fell from the shirt. As the thing bounced, he saw the glimmering silver ring continuing to make small noises as it bounced off of the floor.

Singto held out his hand and caught the ring, opening his hands, he gazed at the band and sighed. His chest threatening to burst as the surge of emotions flooded through him.

Willing himself to stay calm, he gently placed the ring on his table and continued to arrange his clothes, when his phone rang. He figured it must be one of his friends here, as he decided he would still use the same number he had before he left.

To his utter bewilderment, he found the name “Kit” on his screen.

He had to pause, why was his ex-boyfriend calling him, right now? After all these years, why now? Did he dial the wrong number? Did he give his number to another person?

Biting his lip, he clenched his other hand and decided to press the green button. Closing his eyes, he waited for the familiar voice, the voice that he listened to every single day.

_____________________

“Kongpob, 0062! Oh— hehe,” he laughed bitterly, “You’re not Kong.”

Singto took a sharp intake of breath, his hold tightening on the phone.

“Singto, P’Singto, did you know that I absolutely hated you for the past two years? Seeing your Instagram posts, the new people you met, those IG lives where you showed your English skills, I abhorred them all.”

“That night you left, was the last time I even spoke to you. But this is probably just a dream so that will still be the last time I talked to you.”

Krist sniffed, rubbing his nose with his arm as tears pooled in the corners of his eyes, “You were the reason why I stopped believing in forever.”

“You didn’t turn around when you walked away from me. When you walked away from our story. You just... left. And the most infuriating part of it all is that you took a part of me, mercilessly.”

“Remember when you were Kongpob and I was Arthit? Because I remember it, every fucking day. I wanted to curse your name so bad, but I always remember you smacking my head every time I don’t use honorifics.”

“I wish we were still filming SOTUS. It was the time of my life. The start of it all,” He leaned back and rubbed his eyes, “The way you looked at me? God... The way your eyes sparkled, I forgot that we were characters.”

“That look never changed even after the camera stops rolling. And that’s when we started to fall in love. Our story was beautiful. But now... it’s not.”

There was a pregnant pause. On the other end of the call, Singto had tears falling down his eyes as he struggled to be as quiet as possible. Holding back a sob, he heard Krist hiccup.

“I miss being Arthit,” his voice cracked, then, Krist let out all his tears and sobbed, his hiccups increasing.

“Hey, P’Sing, can you be my Kongpob again? Look at me again like Kong looks at Arthit...” He pleaded, holding onto his phone like a child holds his favorite toy.

“...please?”

Singto couldn’t hold back his sobs anymore. Hearing Krist so broken and devastated was the most painful feeling he has ever felt. He sat down on the bed, his tears never stopped falling as he heard the other cry loudly, the worst sound he has ever heard.

They both let out their sorrows for a while, the atmosphere was overwhelmingly painful. But soon, Singto heard Krist’s cries subside, his hiccups decreasing.

“You know, P’Sing, the funny thing is, I still can’t stop loving you after all this time.”

A thud was heard, then, the call ended.

Chapter Text

Krist woke up, feeling the absolute worst, like having a stack of hollow blocks on his head. He was still on the floor, his phone facing down beside him. Blinking, he slowly remembered everything that happened yesterday, from the minute he was fed the news to when he tried to call his ex-boyfriend’s unused phone number and passing out both from crying and his intoxication.

“Fuck!” he cursed, as he tried to get up, holding his head in his hand as he winced at the pounding headache in his ear.

Then a loud ringtone resounded in the room, letting out another curse, he picked it up and stood from the floor, going into his bedroom. Sitting down, he heard the angry voice of his manager, “Krist! Where the hell are you? We have a meeting today and you can’t be late!”

“P’Boy, with all due respect, could you please stop speaking like I’m deaf? My head hurts,” Krist groaned, leaning his back on the mattress.

“Just go get here in thirty minutes. It’s a very important project! And I know you’re hungover so you better do something.”

He widened his eyes, “How did you know that?”

“Because of the news, yesterday, idiot! I know what you do when he’s involved.”

Rolling his eyes, he quickly bid goodbye to his manager and put down his phone. Sluggishly getting his clothes and stepping into the bathroom, he willed himself to sober up and fix his appearance.

Once he was done and all showered up, he opted for a steaming cup of coffee and a piece of cheese bread from his kitchen. Ensuring that he was not hungover anymore, although he still had a faint headache on the back of his head, he went out of his condo and proceeded to the Grammy Building.

Arriving at the meeting room, he knocked on the door, which was opened by P’Jane, Krist’s close friend and Singto’s manager, when he was still here.

“Oh, P’Jane, nice to see you. Sorry, I’m la–” He stopped in his tracks as his eyes landed on a particular tan male, who was sitting on one of the chairs inside the room.

Singto stared at Krist, already knowing that he would come and his face fell when Krist’s eyes hardened.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Everyone in the room gasped, even their boss P’Tha was taken aback. None of them has ever seen Krist like this before, who curse so profoundly and unabashedly, and it was all directed at the one person they least expected.

Singto locked gazes with him, as he put on his facade, “Why don’t you sit down first and remember to respect your elders?”

“I don’t need to respect you, you’re not my P’ anymore. You’re no one,” Krist snarled, glaring at him with all his anger. The others gawked at the exchange, P’Jane even covered his mouth to cover his gasp of shock.

“Well, okay, that’s a start,” P’Tha joked, seeing Krist finally settle down on a seat across from Singto, “I see your pretty heated conversation, and I don’t think you’re gonna link what I’m about to announce to both of you.”

“What is it, P’Tha?” Krist softened his tone, as compared to what he said a while ago, his demeanor was now more civil.

“I’ll just get straight to the point. Both you and Singto are officially cast for the biggest project of Grammy this year: the BL couple comeback. Since Singto came back and decided he would like to continue working here, we figured it was time to give the fans what they want: a new KristSingto series.”

Both the actors’ eyes bugged out of their eyeballs as Krist sputtered, “What the–”

“Krist, shut up,” his manager, P’Boy nicked him with his elbow.

“W-wait– I don’t understand–” Singto tried to speak but Tha held out his hand.

“I’m sorry, Singto. You agreed to a new project, and so has Krist. It has already been decided by the board,” Tha tried to reason, looking apologetically at them, continuing, “And we didn’t even know you two would be hostile to each other now.”

“Shouldn’t we be able to decline this?” Krist looked over to Singto who was looking quite bothered with the situation.

“No, I mean, we’ve been talking about this for months. You can’t back out now.”

“I’ve only been informed that I would shoot a new big drama,” Krist frowned at him. He’s only opposed to the idea because of their past, but he also wanted to give their fans something that they have been waiting for for years.

“This is the big drama,” Tha gestured to them, which really wasn’t amusing, judging from the look on their faces.

“Okay, look. It will be really hard to back out on this project now. But I will give you a chance to talk it out, and if you really think you can’t work together, even if it means making the fans who’ve supported your journey for years finally happy, then tell me as soon as possible.”

Great, now their boss was guilt-tripping them.

Tha left the room, leaving only four people. The two managers, and their clients. Krist kept glaring at Singto to which he returned with a stoic expression. None of them seemed to budge, then Jane cleared his throat, catching their attention.

“You two need to talk it out.” Jane motioned for Boy to follow him outside, leaving only two people.

“I don’t want to work with you, nor see you,” Krist started.

“Well, okay, what a great conversation we are having,” Singto hesitantly replied, wanting to get out of Krist’s hostile demeanor because frankly, he didn’t like it one bit. It’s like he didn’t even know this person.

“But, I don’t want to disappoint the fans, they’ve been through enough. And besides, I don’t want them to get hurt as you did to me,” and another jab to Singto’s heart.

“You weren’t as hostile to me as last night,” Singto stated, referring to the call, which sent a shiver down his spine remembering every single word.

“Huh? What do you mean?” The other cocked his head to the side, genuinely confused.

Oh my god, he doesn’t know.

“Nothing. Nothing… Are you saying you’re agreeing to the project?” Singto dismissed what he said earlier, choosing not to mess up this situation more than it already is.

“Do you have a problem with it?” Krist asked, looking at him in the eye.

“No.”

“Okay then, let’s call out managers so we can get out of here. I want to leave.” Without another word, Krist stood up from his chair and left the room.

Singto’s blood started to boil as he internalized every single thing Krist did today, and the utter hostility he displayed made him want to bang his head into the concrete. He knew he deserved that, but what he didn’t deserve was disrespect.

He didn’t know what weighed more in his heart right now, his pain of seeing the one he loved lose all respect and love for him, or the fact that he basically agreed to repeat history all over again.

Oh, this isn’t going to be pretty.

Chapter Text

“Why does the universe hate me? Tell me, Mike. Did I do something wrong in my past life?”

Mike sent a deadpanned look in his direction, continuing to sip his cola, “Aren’t you overreacting a little bit?”

“I’m not overreacting!” Krist threw his hands, angrily munching on his chicken rice, “I really don’t want to see that person ever again.”

“Says the guy who dated him for three years.”

A paper towel was thrown at Mike and landed right on his face. He groaned, taking the tissue off, and glared at his best friend, “Krist, you’re a much more respectful human being than this.”

“I am! I’m respectful to everyone, Mike. I haven’t changed.”

“You literally cursed at him the first time you’ve met after two whole years,” this earned Mike a scowl from the other.

“I’ve decided that he’s not worth my time anymore,” he sighed, “this really destroys my whole mood.”

“Well good luck, you’re in for a year of meeting him every day and going to award shows and fan meetings. You’re still not done yet.”

“We’re supposed to have at most 10 months of shooting,” Krist said, taking a small bite, “And what makes you think we’ll be having fan meetings and award shows?”

“Do you remember the last time you had a BL drama with him? Years of constantly winning, and traveling around the world to meet fans. Does any of it ring a bell?”

Slumped down on his seat, Krist put his head in his hands, “Mike, I can’t do this. I hate him.”

“Are you sure about that?” The other quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m sure. A hundred percent.”

“Then there won’t be any problem. Can’t you just patch things up with him and be civil, at least?”

“Singto makes my blood curdle. And yes, I know for the sake of all of this to work, I have to be on good terms with him.”

Mike shook his head, his friend is truly an idiot.

“So, what will you do?”

“Pretend like nothing ever happened between us.”

Facepalming, Mike hissed at him, “Are you purposely being obtuse with me? How in the world can you pretend like nothing ever happened, when everything happened between the two of you?”

“Okay fine, I’ll hate his guts blatantly and forget everything when we’re in front of the camera,” Krist looked proud of himself when in actuality, he’s not really helping his situation.

“Everyone will watch you during filming and workshops,” his best friend warned him, “Please don’t do anything stupid.”

Krist stood up, finished with his meal. Heading to the back to dispose of the utensils, he patted Mike on the shoulder, “Don’t worry. I never do anything stupid.”

Mike watched as his friend walked away, rolling his eyes as all he heard from his friend was pure crap.

‘I hate him’ my ass.

______________________

A week after their reuniting encounter, they were scheduled for another meeting and orientation of the workshop. Throughout the entire week, Krist was fussing over not contacting his co-actor, even if his manager P’Boy was practically shoving his phone down his throat. Insisting on apologizing to Singto, P’Boy berated him on being respectful and stop being such an ass to him.

Of course, being the stubborn rock that Krist is, he never batted an eyelash to him, ignoring his manager the best that he can.

Boy was always scratching his head in annoyance; Krist never behaved this way before, he was always kind to everyone, especially his ex-boyfriend. He knew the general idea of what happened between them two years ago, but not enough to gauge how much trauma it has caused the both of them.

It seemed like Singto didn’t even know that Krist would be so hostile to him, judging from his shocked expression the minute Krist lashed out.

Krist was adamant about giving his co-actor the silent treatment, even if he was sitting right next to him. His manager was glaring at him from the side while their director, P’Aof, discussed the plan of the shoot; the plot, and how the characters will be portrayed.

He looked around, spotting many familiar faces, Off, Gun, Tay, New, Namtan, and Godji, as well as other actors from their company. Noticing that they had a significantly big number of people, he knew this was an important project.

“Let me give you a brief summary of the plot. As for the main protagonists; Krist, your character is named Sunny, while Singto’s character is named Tod.”

The actors nodded, urging him to continue, “The gist of the story will be somewhat of rags to riches kind. Sunny is a simple, lighthearted aspiring musician who wants to make his music known and reach the people. Tod, on the other hand, is the sole heir of his family’s music label corporation. Polar opposites; one is an optimistic, social butterfly while the other is a stoic, awkward person.”

“It makes absolute sense,” Krist mumbled, which was clearly heard by the man beside him.

“Something you want to say?” Singto asked.

Krist gave him a scowl and shook his head.

“Now that everything is quite settled, I will be giving the full hard copies of the final script as well as the digital copies in your emails,” Aof clapped his hands as he stood to the side to let a woman step in front, the projected screen changing from the words Meeting to Workshop.

Like a jolt of electricity shot through him, Krist bounced in his seat as he realized that they will now be talking about the workshop.

Oh god, workshops are the worst.

In reality, Krist liked workshops as they helped him make new friends and get comfortable with his co-actors. But in this particular situation, he wasn’t the least bit excited about what will transpire. Considering that they will be cast as lovers, the workshop activities will be much much harder, forcing them to be in each other’s space and talk to each other.

“Hello, everyone. Most of you may know me by now, I’m Yui, you can call me Mae Yui. I am assigned to be your workshop facilitator, and I am very looking forward to working with you all. Don’t worry, we don’t begin today,” this earned a chuckle from the staff, “but I would like everyone to have a first impression on each other, even if we probably know everyone by now.”

Yui beckoned for everyone to stand up and follow her to the Creative Space of the building, this is where they will hold the workshops. Krist found this as a way to not be close to his co-actor and sit on the opposite corner of him inside the big room. Mae Yui knew about their past relationship with each other, however, she didn’t have a clue on what made it end or how it became like it is today.

“Of course, we should start with our lead actors, right? Where are they?” She scanned the room and noticed the two who had an unnecessary distance between them.

“Krist, Singto, come here in front and sit down beside each other.”

Krist groaned, his mood turning sour by the second. The other actors in the room were looking at them with curious eyes; like Off who was absolutely failing in trying to hide his whispering to Tay. The other responded with a shrug and sent a pointed look to Singto.

Once they were sitting on the floor, on the center of the cast who were seated around them, Yui grinned.

“Let’s play a quick game, shall we?”

Chapter Text

If anyone would be asking why Krist looks like he’s constipated right now, he would answer you with a string of curses. He’s usually a bright ray of sunshine and would rarely let out profanities but ever since Singto went abroad, he’s become a little less soft. Krist is actually asking himself right now, where the fuck did Mae Yui get this idea?

He was seated on a small stool, eyes focused on another pair in front of him, also seated. The brown eyes of his ex-boyfriend, piercing through his soul. Krist tried so hard to glare at him, to divert all his anger to his gaze. All the other crew members were seated around him, Mae Yui was chuckling on the side and he could swear, the friends he treasured dearly, Off, Gun, Tay, and New were snickering to themselves.

The younger wanted to just curl up in a ball and bury himself six feet underground, he would rather die than stay another minute here. Who would even like to have a staring contest with your ex? That’s just absurd. He was concentrating so much on winning that he noticed Singto’s face coming closer and closer until he nudged his head forward, causing Krist to panic.

Flustered as he was, he fell out of the stool, tumbling down and a hand reached to grab him but it was too late, his dignity was lying on the floor, “Shit!”

“Kit! Are you okay?” Singto’s worried expression greeted him, as well as the familiar nickname he learned to hate.

“Don’t call me that.” He dusted himself off, as the others helped him back to the stool, cheeks flushed from humiliation.

Everyone noticed the sharp tone of the actor and chose to avert their gazes elsewhere, feeling awkward to witness a tense scene. Mae Yui cleared her throat, “Singto is the winner for this game. Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Can we play other games, Mae?” Singto was exhausted, an emotional toll taking over him from Krist’s outburst. Mae Yui nodded and started to play another game, this time focusing on the other cast members.

Krist excused himself for the rest of the afternoon, saying that he had an interview. Leaving his co-actor alone for the workshop, never batting an eyelash. Singto watched as the younger left the room, and he felt a hand on his back, shadows towering over him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Tay asked, Off was beside him. The actor shook his head, frowning.

“No, it’s okay.”

__________________________

“Krist, tell us about your songwriting! We heard you’re working on new songs to release,” the interviewer, Mei, asked him.

Krist smiled at her, and nodded, “Yes, actually. I’m working on a little something right now, but I don’t think I can spoil any of it to you guys. I’m having a bit of trouble with finding inspiration, though.”

“Oh? This is an interesting point. Hm, what kind of inspiration are you finding right now? Anything in mind, or any person in mind?” Mei teased him, careful not to be too assertive but enough to be speculative. Krist knew what she was doing but chose to ignore it.

“No, not really. I’m not looking for a relationship right now,” he let out a fake smile, rehearsed and maintained. Mei felt disappointed that there wasn’t anyone in his life right, now. She looked at her notes and internally grimaced, knowing that her producers forced her to ask this question, Krist was uninformed by this.

“How about your former co-actor, Singto Prachaya? I heard he just got back from the states. Have you met him lately? Any reunion stories?”

The actor blinked, heart skyrocketing, stomach-dropping. He knew this was an invasive question, and noticed that the interviewer visibly felt tense. The producers were the probable cause of this. He needed to talk to them later.

“Yes, I have met him. But we didn’t get to talk much,” which wasn’t exactly a lie as he and Singto never really talked about the elephant in the room.

Mei nodded at his answer, glad that it was done and over with and Krist was able to mask anything too personal, “Aw, your fans, Perayas, must be thrilled that both of you have reunited.”

Krist awkwardly laughed, heart, dropping at the thought of their fans having these hopeful smiles. If they only knew what happens behind the camera.

The interview ended shortly after that, with Krist rushing to get home and telling P’Boy to handle the issue with the misinformed questions.

As he was driving home, he looked out the window and noticed a small poster on one streetlight. He saw that it was one of the projects that Peraya has made to celebrate another year passed after SOTUS aired. A wry smile crept onto his face, heart breaking at how much their fans still continued to support them even after one has left, and now that he’s back, they’ll be happier again.

Krist loved his fans to his very core, his Yuyus, and Perayas. They have been his family since day one, and he abhorred disappointing them every year they weren’t given a chance to star in a new series again. As much as he hated Singto now, he is also aware that Singto would do anything in the world to keep them happy and thank them for all the support even after all these years.

Giving up was never an option for his fans, they would constantly have their hopes up, even if it’s unnoticeable, Perayas would always charge in the day like it was another 24 hours of hope. Even if they were disappointed by the end of it all, they would continue to make projects, charity works, dedications, and contents to keep the family alive and welcome new members.

Krist has tried his best to stay away from social media, especially on Twitter. Maybe to ignore his ex, or for him to evade hate comments that cause him immense anxiety and self-deprecation. Yet, he created a fake account to see what is going on with his Yuyus and Perayas. It would always put a smile on his face whenever he sees them laughing or rejoicing on the timeline, and would constantly be interested in their never-ending analysis of the series and shows he and Singto have been before.

The stoplight turned green, he heard a honking sound from behind him. Stunned out of his stupor, he pressed on the gas and drove home.

____________________

“P’, are we really pushing through everything on the script?”

“Yeah, Krist. Why?” Boy looked at him.

“Um, I’ve fully read everything and there are about four kissing scenes with two steamy ones after,” Krist fidgeted with the binder he was holding, eyes displaying a sense of panic.

“It’s not like both of you haven’t done all of this before—“ Boy paused, he slipped too much, “I mean, you’re a professional actor. You can handle this, right?”

“But, P’Boy—“

“Is there a problem with kissing me, Krist?” Singto queried, inserting himself into the conversation, an eyebrow quirked up.

Krist grimaced, pulse racing as he was startled by the sudden question, “Of course, there is.”

“You don’t seem to have a problem with kissing me in the past,” he shot him a smirk.

“If I remember correctly, Singto, you were the one who kissed me first.”

“And if I also remember correctly, you were the one who constantly sneaked in a makeout session whenever we—“ Singto’s statement abruptly halted as Krist put his hands over his mouth, forcefully shutting him up.

“Can you please, shut up?”

Boy was looking at the two men, visibly uncomfortable with the exchange but also amused at their lingering tension with each other. Krist pulled back after Singto relaxed, eyes still bulging as he felt the soft pillowy hands on his lips.

The younger had his ears tinged red, grumbling to himself. He shot a glare at the other. Krist started to walk away from them, footsteps echoing in the hallway yelling, “I liked kissing you in the past because you weren’t such an asshole back then!”

And everyone in the building level was floored, Singto was the leader of them all, with his mouth agape and a dropped phone on the tiled floor.

Chapter Text

A/N: SingtoPluto stans, this one is for you.

Singto was never a fan of conflict. He always said that he would rather remain silent than start a fight, and the result of that is his constant stoic expression which always leaves a terrifying look on spectators’ faces. When he first started in the industry, given that he was a hazer in college, he retained his unemotional demeanor until Krist came into his vision. Somehow, even before they got together, Krist has been the fuel of sunshine in his heart, gradually destroying his walls effortlessly. The younger wasn’t the one destroying it, rather, he himself chose to break down his walls.

He also loved peace and quiet, and even though Krist would sometimes have difficulty giving that to him, he didn’t mind the chaos at all.

Their love story wasn’t a magical tale, Singto would call it a tragic one. Everything was beautiful, from their confession after their last concert together in Fantopia, to the first time they talked about hazing duties on the wooden bench just outside their campus auditorium. It had come to the point that both of their apartments had equal amounts of personal stuff ranging from clothes to camera lenses to guitars. Krist’s two cats were also practically raised by Singto as he saw them and met them almost every day. He wonders why he hasn’t seen them lately at work, ever since he came back.

The actor remembers their memories with each other when they first started dating, nothing really changed except for the fact that there were a lot more kisses exchanged and less of the anxiety that followed after, he would say that those days were the time of his life. Until the time he left, everything was going perfectly fine.

And even if it did not go well, his heart never changed. Ever.

“Muff! Pluto!” A yell was heard, and approaching footsteps followed, revealing Krist dashing down the hallway to his friend Bank, who was carrying a big cat bag. Two heads poked out from the bag, hearing their father’s call, and ears perked up to anticipate his arrival.

“Oh my god, I’ve missed you both!” Krist took the two kittens out of the bag and into his arms, the chubby one rested her head on his shoulder while the other licked his face all over with his little tongue.

Muffin meowed, and Pluto followed, both very elated to reunite with their father. Bank was smiling at them and said, “They were both missing you too much. Your mother finally gave in and insisted they go back home.”

“Thank you, Bank.” Krist smiled at him and stood up, still carrying his two felines. Unbeknownst to them, Singto was at the side, watching the whole time. And due to the fact that animals have a greater sense of smell than humans, Pluto was able to detect an odd scent, his ears perked up again, and he struggled to get out of Krist’s arms.

“Pluto?” The cat jumped out from his hold and walked down the hallway, more like ran. As he sprinted, Muddin also fussed around her owner’s grasp, making Krist reluctantly let her down.

Pluto followed a trail, continuously looking around and making little sniffs, and when his eyes landed on a familiar tan-skinned figure, he immediately sprinted towards him. The figure crouched down as the cat joyfully meow-ed, jumping up.

Singto let out a laugh, his heart warming as Pluto gave him so many little kisses on his face, even more than he gave his original owner. Pluto continued to meow but his sounds were drowned out by another loud meow.

Krist watched as his daughter tried to run with her short fat legs, meowing very loudly to somehow catch attention. While Singto held the happy cat in his arms, he leaned down to pet Muffin, and they all ended up in a little pile in the middle of a near-empty corridor, sitting cross-legged as the cats purred around him, and nuzzling into his embrace.

If you were a random spectator, you would think that he was the true owner of the cats, and Krist was just an old babysitter. Singto’s eyes glistened as he took in the warm welcome of the cats, a different kind of pain in his heart, as he missed the two. For the past two years, he constantly tried to check on them by following their Instagram account, and he was happy that they were well taken care of by their loving father.

“Um, Pluto? Muffin? Hello?” Krist tried to call them after the rather long silence that passed during the little reunion of the two cats and their second father.

“Meow!” Muffin let out another sound, kind of giving him a glare with her beady eyes as she turned her head back to Singto and closed her eyes, purring in delight. Pluto let out little licks both on his own paws and Singto’s cheeks.

The man holding the two cats looked apologetically at Krist, trying to give comfort as the cats basically forgot about his presence the moment they saw Singto.

“Pluto, baby,” he chuckled, placing a hand over his head to stop him from giving any more kisses, “Your Papa is there, go to Papa, okay?”

Another small “meow” was emitted, and Singto looked down on his lap, a fluffy ball curled up, and looked at him with dilated pupils, “Muffin, come on. Let’s get up now, baby.”

The two cats made a protest, Singto didn’t want to let go, as he hugged the two to his chest, letting out a sigh of relief and regret. Placing a kiss on each of their heads, he stood up, and carefully gave the cats back to their owner despite their apparent reluctance.

“Muffin, Pluto, don’t go running off to P’Sing— I mean, that man just like that,” Krist scolded his little ones, obviously trying to evade the older’s gaze.

Muffin’s pupils shrank, as she squinted, then shook her head as if to refute his statement. Pluto was still trying to claw out of his arms and in the warmth of Singto’s embrace however, He was put inside the cat bag along with Muffin. Krist cleared his throat, “Thank you again, Bank. I’ll take them home now.”

Bank smiled at him and waved, leaving first, reminding him that he also went to go back home to his parents’ province to deal with family matters.

Singto watched the love of his life leave the floor and out of his sight, carrying his two rays of sunshine that always brightened up his day. With a solemn expression dusting his features, he turned on his heel and left with a heavy heart.

Everything was fine.

He is still absolutely and undeniably in love with his ex-boyfriend.

And it was painfully difficult when said ex-boyfriend breathes fire whenever they meet. And he knew how much this person could burst when confronted with an intense feeling, he just was not used to it. And this was the absolute downside of this situation. Maybe he should just drop everything and give up, what was he even here for anyway?

Surely he came back for his father, to take care of him and spend time with him, and also reunite with his friends. That’s his top priority.

Absolute bullshit.

He came back for Krist. That was his first reason. His father didn’t even want him to come home, insisting that he continue his career there if it’s beneficial for his future. His friends, however, constantly updated him about what’s happening in Thailand, and also the important events happening in Krist’s life, not that he was asking anyway.

He may have asked Tay and Off about this, and maybe also P’Wave. All of them gave rather generous help, but still reluctant as they constantly recommended he come back and see for himself.

The sad thing about Singto’s life is that he’s as much of a coward as he is stubborn. This led him to an excruciating two years of Krist Perawat deprivation and also heart desperation. He regrets everything.

“Everyone, I bought lunch for all of us!” Krist yelled, gaining everyone’s attention as their mouth watered with the huge box of food in the middle of the room.

“KFC sponsored you again!” Gun joyfully grinned, Off inserting himself between the two and slinging an arm around both of their shoulders, “It should be our treat, too!”

“Well, count me in,” Tay joined them, as he helped all of the crew get their food, and they looked at Krist who has a big bucket of chicken in his arms. He retreated back to his seat silently, still carrying the bucket. Most of them shook their heads, laughing at the usual behavior of the actor, even after all these years, he has never gotten tired of fried chicken.

“You aren’t getting any?” Singto turned to look at Tay, who was holding a box serving of chicken. He gave a small smile and thanked him, grabbing the food and placing it in his lap.

As the room chattered with clinking spoons and forks and people talking, Singto vaguely heard the conversation happening a few feet away from him where his co-lead actor was conversing with their close friend, Fiat.

“....what really happened between you two?”

“You’re really bringing this up now while I’m downing a bucket of KFC?”

“I’m curious, P’Krist. Shouldn’t you go back to him and I don’t know, make out in the back corner?”

“Fiat, it’s just super complicated. Can you let it go?”

“How can I let it go when my “parents” are like two negatively charged magnets? You need to sort this out, P’.”

“I don’t know if I want to sort it out.”

“I know you’re still in love with him.”

“Nong!” From his peripheral vision, he saw Krist quickly putting down his bucket and placing his hands on Fiat’s mouth, effectively shutting him up. The other people in the room looked at them, baffled.

From the whole eavesdropping situation, Singto didn’t know what to feel, but his hands were shaking. Krist scanned the room and awkwardly smiled while he slowly took off his hands from the nong’s mouth, wiping it on his pants. Fiat was grinning at him, knowing that he hit some kind of jackpot.

Singto could not even internalize the conversation that transpired, silently thanking all the gods as he received a phone call from his friend, having an excuse to get out of the room and get some air.

When he ended the call, he noticed a person walking towards him, and it turned out to be Bank.

“Khun Bank? Do you have something you need? Should I call Krist?” He asked politely after wai-ing, and didn’t fail to see the cat bag he was holding. There stood two kittens inside, peering at him with their big eyes. Pluto tried to break out from the bag by repeatedly tapping his paw on the glass, with his utter excitement over Singto’s presence.

“Krist asked a favor to bring the cats here, saying that he misses them and the staff also wanted to see them. But I think he’s still busy with his lunch, and I need to go. Can you take care of them for me and bring them to Krist?” Bank looked at him apologetically.

“Okay, I can do that,” Bank gave him the bag, and Singto grasped its handle. The cats were still making a fuss inside the bag and he tried to calm them. Once again, Bank left without another word, and Singto was left alone in the hallway with his two children– former children, as Krist would like to call it.

When he entered back inside the workshop room, he looked at the spot where he last saw Krist and found out it was empty. People were slowly noticing them and the cats and those who recognized them approached.

“Where’s Krist?”

“He had an emergency meeting with the record label manager for his new song. He told me to tell Bank that he should bring them home instead,” Yui replied, cooing at the cats that were still inside the bag.

“But, Bank just left,” He pointed to the door, and that was when reality hit him.

Oh no.

Chapter Text

“Meow!”

“Alright, Muffin. I’ll take you both home to my apartment. Let me make a call to someone, just stay put in your bags,” Singto whipped out his phone to call Krist, using his line to call him. Seeing the last messages they sent about two years ago, he hissed.

“Come on, pick up.”

“The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

“Crap,” he put down his phone and got Mae Yui’s attention, “Mae, can I leave early today? I need to take care of the cats.”

“Okay, you can take care of your babies.”

“Mae!”

“What? I’m right! Just look at them,” Yui gestured to the two cats inside the bag, heads peeking out as they stared at Singto.

Grumbling, the actor grabbed the bag and left the building, heading back to his condominium, only stopping at the local pet store he knew to buy kibble. The cats were clearly pleased, being with their other parent again, and Singto couldn’t help but awe at how they still remembered him even after his scent faded from Krist’s body and home.

“Hey Pluto, your food is right there, you can stop clinging to me now,” he said, trying to pry Pluto away from his lap, and Muffin enjoying her food from the side. Pluto still didn’t budge and continued to purr in delight as he basked in the warmth of Singto’s comfort.

“Meow!” Again, another loud sound emitted from the cat not so far from them, he looked to see Muffin’s bowl completely empty.

“Oh wow, this is why you keep growing bigger because you eat too much! Come here.”

Singto placed Pluto beside him on the couch and scooped Muffin up, carrying her, and placing her onto his lap, “You feel heavier than Pluto.”

The other cat patted the hairy one with his paw, a little agitated that he wasn’t the one kn Singto’s lap. Pluto was clearly very attached to him, and it was not questionable as he and the cat had a strong bond especially when he always comes home to Krist’s condo. He also paid equal attention to Muffin yet Pluto and him kind of always got along, sometimes Krist would tease him.

“Now, how can I contact your father, hm?” He asked the two oblivious felines craning their heads in confusion.

“God, you both are so adorable,” he could cry at how much they looked cute right now. Picking up his phone, he dialed Krist on his LINE again for the nth time today and finally, he picked up the call.

“Hello?”

“Krist!”

“P— Singto?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’ve been calling you and you didn’t pick up.”

“Why are you calling me?” He heard a shuffle in the background, and then a door closing.

“I’m with Pluto and Muffin right now.”

“What? How? Where’s Bank?”

“Bank said he needed to do something and he thought you are going to take care of them today since you requested it,” A hiss was heard.

“Damn it, Bank. I just finished my meeting today, I’m going to pick them up.”

“I’m not at the building, I’m at my condo, in case you will go to the wrong place.”

“The old one?”

Frowning, he nodded, scratching the back of Pluto’s ear, “Yeah.”

“...Okay.”

Then, the line cut. The actor sighed, looking around his near-emptied condo. He was just starting to unpack things but there were too many memories left in this area. Too good memories, beautiful ones.

Setting down the cats and making sure they were comfortable on the couch, he went into the kitchen and tried to find some food. Even after two years in a completely foreign country, he never learned how to cook, not even a properly cooked sunny side up egg. He was used to eating take-out, and also getting these dishes prepared by his boyfriend. Since he left, the latter was also nulled.

A few minutes later, staring into a box of near-empty cereal, and hearing soft thuds from two fighting cats in the living room, he heard a doorbell. That must be Krist. Leaving the kitchen, he went to the front door, and eight legs followed him, completely engrossed in their father. Opening the door, he saw a scowling Krist Perawat, arms crossed, and tapping his foot in impatience.

“....Thank you.” Grumbled the pale actor, crouching down to call his children, “Pluto, Muffin!”

The two dashed into his arms, missing him as they were separated from his scent for the whole day, “I missed you both.”

Singto stared down at the three, they were once his everything. Maybe they are still his everything. He wanted nothing more than to lean down too and scoop all of them up in his arms and give his ex-boyfriend kisses. His hand clenched at his side, willing himself not to do anything rash.

“Well… uh, I’ll be leaving now. Can I get the bag?” Krist started to stand up, both of the cats in his arms, their attention shifted to the tan male in front of them.

“Okay,” Singto handed him the bag, and Kriet carefully placed them inside, “I’m glad to know they still remember me.”

“They got too attached to you, you can’t exactly erase their familiarity in two years.”

“So that includes you?”

“N-no, P’Sing,” Krist realized his slip-up, completely proving his statement wrong. He saw the smirk on the other’s face and he felt his face flush. Scurrying off to go back to his car, he left in a hurry, the kittens meow-ing as they called for Singto.

“I know you guys love him, but I’m still your father, okay?” Krist tried to convince, even if it will all sound like nothing to them.

Back in the condo, Singto sighed, closing his door and dialing a number, “Hello, P’Wave? Can we meet tonight? At Little Hong Kong? Okay. See you.”

____________________________

“Singto, long time no see! It’s the first time we’ve met after you left! How are you?” Wave gave him a tight hug, warmth radiating from his voice.

“P’Wave, I missed you so much,” Singto returned the embrace. The restaurant is currently in the process of closing, with no customers around and some staff cleaning the tables.

“How is everything? How was America? Do you speak better English than me now?” Wave started, teasing him as he smirked, ushering him to sit down on an empty booth. He called one of the staff and politely ordered, “Can you make a chicken basil rice right now? My friend here looks like he didn’t eat.”

“P’Wave!”

“I bet you still don’t cook,” Singto rolled his eyes, even though Wave was right.

The employee nodded and smiled at them. Wave turned to look at Singto again, “So?”

“America was beautiful, a bit more chaotic, but it was great. And I think my English is now significantly better than yours,” Singto grinned, saying the last sentence in English.

Wave laughed at him, genuinely glad that Singto has now mastered the language, “I’m happy that you surpassed me.”

“P’Wave,” Singto began, his mood evidently getting more serious, “I want to talk about—“

“Krist, I know,” Wave nodded, completely understood what Singto truly wanted to do.

“I— I just need to know, how is he?” Gripping the glass of water in his hand, palm being cooled by the condensed cold water, somehow calming him down.

“He’s not doing well, Singto. Not since you left him. Well, he’s physically healthy, but his heart is still shattered.”

Same as mine, then. Singto thought as he frowned at the truth unfolding, “...Did he date…anyone while I was gone?”

“No, he completely surrounded himself with work, as you can see. I know you created a private account just to follow him everywhere,” he said, giving him a knowing stare, a frown still etched onto his face.

“I’m a coward, I hid from him,” the actor put his head in his hands.

“Do you regret it?”

“Yes, I do,” he paused, “but I chose to live with my decision, and now I’m atoning for it.”

The food arrived, causing them both to move to allow the dishes to be placed neatly on the table. When the waiter left, Wave shook his head, “He told me you are going to be working on a project with him? If you want him back, you’re going to have to work for it.”

“But he won’t let me,” Singto shoved a spoonful of basil rice in his mouth, a tone of dismay rising.

“Of course he won’t let you! Not after all of what happened,” Wave wanted to facepalm himself, the person in front of him is exhaustingly idiotic, “As I said, work for it! Woo him, make him fall for you again. But first, you have to apologize.”

“I know. Well, technically, P’Wave, he was the one who confessed first,” Singto replied, earning a pinch on the arm from the other.

“This is not the time to brag about how Krist admitted it first, at least he was brave enough, unlike you who took eight years of constant pining and an ex-girlfriend just to realize that you’re in love with him.”

Singto let out another dejected sigh, dread filling his emotions as he thought of the possibility of Krist not taking him back. They continued to eat, Wave sipping a glass of mango shake and keeping him company, with conversations about his 2-year trip in the States and how Singto got really good at English. He was close to finishing the food, his hunger apparent as he didn’t leave specs of rice on the bowl.

“Ah, P’Wave! I forgot to pick up my dinner, can I–”

Singto heard footsteps behind him and the overly familiar voice, his heart raced. As he put down his fork, he turned around to see Krist frozen in his tracks, wearing an oversized yellow hoodie, and glasses. God, why does he always have to be beautiful?

“Oh, Krist! Yeah, I have yours in the back, wait, I’ll get it.” Wave left the table, leaving Krist standing awkwardly five feet away from Singto who was still looking at him.

“What are you looking at?” Krist snapped at him.

“Your adorable face,” Singto replied, smirking at how the younger was taken aback, stumbling a little from his stance and his face flushing.

Krist turned his head, avoiding Singto’s gaze, “Why are you even here?”

“I wanted to talk to P’Wave. Why? Do you want me to go to your condo instead?”

“What– P’Sing!” Krist sputtered out chopped words, his mind incoherent with Singto’s evident innuendos, he needed to get away from him. Fast.

“Here’s your food, Krist. Eat well!” Wave came out of the back end carrying a bag of food. Krist quickly grabbed it and bid a loud “Thank you” before hurriedly leaving the restaurant, making sure not to take another look at the smirking Singto.

“What did you do to him?” Wave asked.

“I may have flirted.”

Wave gave him a look, and the other shrugged, drinking water from his glass. He watched Krist and Singto develop and thrive together, both in their personal life and work life. He was there when they became lovers, and he was also there when Singto left. And there was one thing he knew for certain– they will find their way back to each other again.

Chapter Text

“Shouldn’t Plathong be less shitty and realize that he’s just using Sunny as a replacement for Tod?” Krist stood in front of the camera after P’Aof called a short break after their recent take, which involved Sunny screaming at Plathong because the latter was not looking at him directly. Singto was in front of him, but noticed that his ex-lover wasn’t even looking at him directly, somehow just getting mad at… air?

“Well, you have to consider the fact that Sunny looks exactly the same as Tod,” Singto tried to bargain which just made Krist send a glare to him.

“I don’t know if you’re being biased for your character but that doesn’t give Plathong the excuse to treat Sunny like shit.”

“Watch your mouth, Kit.”

The younger just grumbled to himself and didn’t say a word back, he already knew that his cussing has already gotten to Singto’s nerve, and he preferred if he would stay his calm self. It’s bad enough there was one hothead between the two of them.

“The next scene will be sequence 38, where Plathong apologizes to Sunny,” Aof told the crew, and the other members changed the setup a bit, angling the camera where the shots are indicated in the list and changing the lighting as they described it to be a sunset.

Krist craned his neck in an attempt to relax and get into character, and the simple move appealed as incredibly attractive to Singto’s eyes. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze, willing himself to also be in character. And when the director yelled into action, Plathong and Sunny were live.

______________________

“You’re telling me that you going to hit on Krist and win him back?”

“Not exactly hitting on him, but yeah, I want him back.”

“I don’t know,” Jane frowned, “You’ve gone through this before, are you sure it’s not going to end up in a disaster again just like the first time?”

“He’s right, Sing. You know how much the both of you were heartbroken after you separated,” Nham sent him a worried look, and Singto just shook his head.

“I know you think I’m being irrational or thickheaded, but I still love Krist. And I’m going to make him fall for me again, that’s if, he ever stopped after all those years.”

“What a cocky man,” Jane rolled his eyes but gave him a pat on the shoulder, “As your friend, I support you on this journey, but as your manager, you also have to be careful. If your actions reach the public, we could be in serious trouble.”

“I plan on coming out.”

“Come again?” Nham choked on her drink dapping a napkin on her mouth to dry.

“If ever Krist takes me back, I want to tell the world that he’s mine,” Singto said with conviction and saw that Jane and Nham just gawked at him.

“Are you being daft right now?”

The actor chuckled, his voice sounding with mirth but his eyes showing determination, “I won’t force Krist to come out of the closet, but I’m not going to deny my sexuality anymore. And I think my fans deserve that, given that I’ve hardly properly communicated with them ever since I left.”

“But what about your career?” Nham asked.

“I swore to myself that this project would be my last in front of the camera. After that, I’m staying behind the scenes and plan to make my own production.”

The truth is, Singto has deeply thought about this for the past two years he was away. He’s already come out to his family, even before he started dating Krist. And thankfully, they were all accepting, especially his dad who was also not shocked when he told him Krist became his boyfriend.

He was never ashamed of his sexuality, but his career was always the nail in the coffin, as both he and Krist had to be extremely cautious because sexuality is actually a detrimental matter in a career like theirs: the entertainment industry.

When he dated Krist, the younger was also thinking about coming out to the public but then he was already so big in his career in front of the camera that they were afraid it would cause some harmful effects to sponsors and offers.

But now, he was definitely ready to take on this path, and he hopes Krist was too. A little presumptuous for him to assume that Krist will be his again, but one can hope. He was still holding on to that drunk phone call.

“As long as you’re ready, then we’ll support you,” Singto nodded at them, thankful that he had such comforting friends.

Difficult as it may seem, it was actually quite easy for Krist and Singto to work together despite their differences and their history. After years of experience, they have mastered the art of keeping it professional, however, they were still human and are capable of having feelings. They just got better at hiding them.

The day turned into night, and it was a long day of filming, everyone was tired. At around 8 in the evening, the director called it a day and sent the crew home. As usual, the two main actors were the last to leave, and the others were busy packing their stuff and going home.

Singto saw Krist pick up his bag, and on impulse, he grabbed his shirt sleeve before he was about to take off, “Krist.”

The latter halted in his footsteps, glancing down at the hand who was pinching his shirt’s fabric, “What?”

“Have dinner with me.”

“Huh? No, I’m not even hungry,” as perfect timing, his stomach rumbled and Krist let out a strangled sigh. The older was amused and grinned at him, “Are you sure?”

“Why would I even go with you? I can eat dinner at home,” Krist yanked off the other’s hold and stepped away from him.

“Let me take you out to dinner, Krist. I know you’re starving and I can’t let you go home on an empty stomach,” Singto coaxed him to agree, all guns fired in order to somehow persuade him.

Krist huffed, crossing his arms on his chest, “No.”

And then, his stomach grumbled again.

“Krist, I know you want to eat dinner, come on we can save time and money. And it’s been a while since I’ve taken you on a date.”

“It’s not a date!”

Singto just shook his head and laughed, taking Krist’s hand in his and dragging him out of the room, casually passing by the guards who waved at them and into the near-empty parking lot of their filming set. The whole time, Krist was trying to pry his fingers off but he eventually gave up and just sighed, believing that his stomach was the top priority right now.

The older squeezed his hand, his heart feeling light as he was able to hold Krist again, even if it wasn’t in his arms, but his hand was a start.

“So, is this your car?” Singto asked, pointing at the white vehicle parked near them. Krist nodded and loosened his hold on Singto’s hand, retracting it. Singto felt empty without its warmth but brushed it off.

“If I weren’t here, how were you supposed to go home?”

“I texted P’Jane that I didn’t need a ride home tonight.”

“Why?”

“I had a feeling I would ask out a cute actor tonight,” Singto shrugged. And as usual, the oblivious Krist flet himself growing angrier.

“Then why didn’t you ask him instead?” He stomped towards the driver’s seat and angrily shut the door, leaving Singto dumbfounded on the lot; he immediately went to the passenger side and got in, chuckling a bit at how adorable that Krist still was this oblivious man who he fell in love with. This was the reason why it took them years to confess.

“I’m already sitting in the car with him now, right?”

“... screw you.” Krist’s pale face heated up, even his ears were visible, and Singto thanked the moonlight for giving him the beautiful visual despite the dark night.

They went out of the parking lot and Krist just drove, asking Singto from the side, “Where to?”

“The usual, at Manaow’s.”

Krist cracked a small grin, he never stopped coming to that place, always in awe of the inexpensive yet delicious food and also the service of Mae Manaow, the owner of the restaurant. And the fact that they didn’t have to hide their identities when dining there because Mae always assured them that their place is safe from any reporters.

Eventually, they arrived at the restaurant, Krist was parking the car in reverse which resulted in his craning his neck backward, looking at the back of the car to make sure he didn’t hit the wall. And of course, Singto was staring at him the whole time. Two years ago, Krist was just starting to learn how to drive, and sometimes he took the both of them out for dates, although he always preferred that Bank drive them or Singto would sometimes offer but both of them didn’t have driver’s license back then.

Seeing Krist right now is like a fresh breath of air, he looked absolutely beautiful, more mature, and definitely more handsome than the last time he actually saw him intimately in the past.

They entered the restaurant, the open area spread the fragrant aroma of the noodles, Mae Manaow was probably cooking their classic Thai noodle dishes tonight. They saw the short woman come out of the kitchen and to the counter, and she started saying, “Sawadee—”

“...Krist? Singto? Oh my god!”

The woman rushed to them and engulfed them in a big embrace, both of the men were laughing as they hugged her back, definitely missing Manaow, who was very special to their hearts.

“How are you, Khun Singto? It sure is lonely without you, especially for Kit over here,” she broke off the embrace and raised her brow at the both of them, a knowing grin on her face.

“Mae, no!” Krist denied, trying to save himself. Singto just laughed beside him, “It sure is, Mae. I missed going on dates here with Krist.”

“I’m glad finally the both of you can stop by together. Oh let me just whip up your usual order, and tell me all about the details of your betrothed life!”

“What?” Krist asked, his eyes widening. Singto visibly paled and he tried to conjure up words to cover up Manaow’s slip.

“Huh? The last time Singto went here, I think it was two years ago, he told me he wanted to propose to you, even though gay marriage is not legal yet, but I totally support—”

“Okay Mae, I think we’re pretty hungry now,” Singto grabbed Krist’s shoulders and let them to a booth, sitting them down, both are now pale-faced. The older was biting his lip, internally cursing himself and asking the gods above why this had to happen.

Meanwhile, Krist cannot process what just occurred, “You wanted to marry—”

“So, how is your song going? I heard from Gun that you’re now in the process of recording the instrumental?”

“H-huh?”

In a desperate attempt to divert the topic, Singto thought of the second most interesting matter that he hoped would take Krist’s mind off of things; he loved talking about music. Krist looked conflicted for a second, his question mid-air, but he quickly shook his head and told himself that that was a topic for later, he could think about it in the comfort of his own home and not have a breakdown in front of the person he never wanted to cry in front of again.

“Um, yeah, I’m in the process of trying out the rhythm and melody and fitting all the instruments together.”

“That’s great then, when can I hear it?”

“As if you’re going to be the first one to listen,” Krist rolled his eyes, drinking from his cup that one of the waiters gave them full of iced water.

“Aw, why?” Singto jutted out his lip, giving out this act of innocence but he was silently dying inside.

“You used to be the most important person in my life, you had that privilege, but not anymore,” the younger’s voice softened, pain evident from his tone, and Singto just wanted to pull him into a hug and say all the apologies he wanted to say, but doing so now would be very inappropriate. And Krist would probably just lash out at him.

Braving himself, Singto answered, “I’ll get that privilege again.”

“Arrogant asshole,” Krist mumbled.

“What was that?”

“I said you’re handsome.”

“I know.”

Krist scoffed, and rolled his eyes again, Singto just gave out a cheeky grin, seeing that Krist did not deny him, nor get disgusted. He was genuinely amused, and Singto’s cheeks just brightened up seeing the effect he has managed to get from him.

“Here’s your food!” Manaow went to their table with a tray of their regular order, and their mouths watered. Krist’s smile was wide and genuine, and just so bright. Singto just stared at him again, finding him absolutely ethereal. He adored him whenever Krist would beam at food, he also had a soft spot for delicious things, and Krist would give out this big smile just for the food, and Singto found it charming.

“Thank you for the food, Mae!”

Chapter Text

If there was one thing Krist excelled at, the first thing would be acting. After gaining tons of awards after his first big hit with Singto, he has drastically improved his acting skills; and part of that act was suppressing one’s emotions. He was actually great at it, learning to be numb, especially after Singto left him years ago. Krist has grown to be stoic, emotionless, and indifferent on the outside.

But that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel anything on the inside. And with a particular male back in his life, jabbing into his corning in any way possible, he’s finding it more and more difficult to retain that facade he has worked so hard to perfect.

That is what Krist Perawat was using in this situation right now. Because after his stressful dinner with his ex-boyfriend, who has infuriating proven how much he wanted to strangle him, Singto had insisted to take him home, noting that his cats deeply missed him.

Wanting to be the bigger person, and just aiming to prove himself that he was exponentially better now, Krist reluctantly agreed, but not before sneering at him with another jab. Arriving at his apartment door, there were no other people present since Bank didn’t really go home to his apartment anymore, the room was silent from the other side. But he could already picture Pluto clawing at the door, sensing his owner’s arrival.

“Aren’t you going to open the door?” He heard the man beside him ask, to which Krist just ‘tsk-ed’.

As he slid in the keycard, the door clicked open and as if on cue, a hairless cat came dashing out the door, directly passes him, and jumps at Singto, who was waiting for the cat with open arms.

What the fuck?

Krist best down and picked up Muffin, his other cat, whispering sweet nothings to her ear as she dared to stare in Pluto’s direction who was well in Singto’s care. Deciding that he has had enough of the stress for the day and he just wanted to curl up in a ball and mull over what had transpired for the past few hours.

“You need to leave. You’ve already greeted the children,” He settled Muffin down on the floor and watched as she padded over to the other’s direction being lured by the mood given from Pluto’s purrs.

“Children, eh? We’re calling them our kids again?” Singto was grinning from ear to ear, bending down to pet Muffin.

“I mean my children!” Krist protested, agitated at his little slip-up. As usual, he was flustered, and the other basked in its glory.

“Kit, I don’t mind you calling them our children, you three are my family after all,” the older winked at him. In truth, there’s nothing more than Singto wanted than to kiss the younger’s pink cheeks, because Krist was always naturally beautiful, and adorable. How he was able to survive two years without that, was a mystery to him.

Well, it wasn’t a complete withdrawal because he still stalked his Instagram even though he never liked his posts, afraid of the fans finding out, and of course Krist. Also, those days of spending hours on end watching his Instagram lives, as well as youtube recordings of fans from his events, as well as scrolling through Twitter and coming across some of their moments when he was still back in the country.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, he also spent time going through his gallery and he never deleted any videos that he took of them (or only Krist) when they were dating because those were the most important memories of his life. It had come to a point where he had transferred some of his files to a safe drive for safekeeping.

Even the friends he met in the States would go hours on end to describe how much he gushed about Krist Perawat, it was endearing at first but his friends told him to either get back with his ex or to shut up.

“We’re leaving. Good night,” Krist said in a clipped tone, ushering his cats inside the apartment and casting one last look at the older, panicking a little when the other once again beamed at him, giving that toothed smile which he always loved… before.

Once he was safely in his closed home, he leaned back on the door, letting out a sigh.

He couldn’t even remember how he started his day without his ex, who was already abruptly disturbing his daily life. His fear was inevitable here, the fact that Singto would barge into his daily life and make him fall again, but that was a definite danger, a detriment to his heart.

Because the first time Singto broke it, he has never properly healed from the damage.

As he paced around his apartment and changed into his nightclothes, he laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the bed dip with weight beside him as Pluto climbed over, settling himself to sleep, feeling his owner was about to rest.

“Hey, Pluto. Do you think that if Singto proposed to me two years ago, I would have said yes?” His arms were folded at the back of his head as he mindlessly asked his innocent cat who didn’t pay him any attention.

I would have said yes in a heartbeat.

And that was the truth.

Of course, the truth hurts. Krist felt the tears pooling at the corners of his eyes and he closed them, making himself believe that he didn’t feel anything. Soon, he drifted off. Tears streaming down, and a broken heart, still damaged as it was years ago.

_____________________________

It was another busy day on the set. Today, they’re doing a very important scene. And Krist was dreading this moment, wait, no, scratch that; this could definitely be interesting. After getting dolled up in production design, they were then set to perform the scene in the middle of the café where most of the scenes were at.

Singto, as usual, kept staring at his co-actor the whole time, completely engrossed by his beauty and he will shamelessly show it. It was a blessing that Krist was stupidly oblivious, however, the other staff is not.

“What is this idiot doing?” Jane asked Boy from the side, groaning as Singto continued to look like a lovesick puppy.

Both the managers facepalmed.

“Is he really trying to get back with him?” Boy gestured to him, a frown on his face.

“He told you?”

“No, but it’s obvious! I mean, look at him, half the set is already noticing his behavior. He can’t keep doing this if he’s not entirely sure if anything gets out.”

“Singto’s planning to be public.”

“What?”

“Jane, is there something wrong?” Yui suddenly interrupted, looking between the two of them. Boy’s face was pale as if a ghost had appeared before him. Jane waved her off, “It’s nothing, Yui. Look, Aof is already rolling.”

Yui left them alone, and Boy was still spluttering, gaping like a fish. Jane shook his head at him, “Don’t tell anyone yet, though. Especially Krist. We don’t want to shock him.”

“I’m already shocked,” the other blinked and rubbed his forehead, already feeling stressed. All their thoughts were interrupted when they heard Krist’s voice yelling. It was part of the script. And everyone was now staring at the two.

“I don’t believe you. You’re not in love with me, you’re just in love with the idea that Tod is still alive. It’s not right, and I think that we should just remain professional, Plathong.”

Krist felt his heart wrench, he didn’t think that the scene would hurt this much, He remembered reading this in the script and grimacing because Sunny’s words were too powerful. And it seemed like Singto also felt it too much, judging by the cracked persona he saw when he uttered those words. Thankfully, he was able to hold back every word vomit spilling out of it, as P’Aof cut the take, congratulating them for a perfect shot.

A few more scenes were taken for today’s agenda, and when the final shot was done, Krist heaved a sigh of relief because the emotional turmoil of his role was getting to him, and it also didn’t help that he had to work the whole day in close proximity with Singto.

He was now perched over the balcony, away from everyone who was busy setting up their things to take home. He was drinking the grape juice, courtesy of their sponsor. It was already dusk, the sun had just set, and the sky was a dark, indigo blue. His thoughts went back to their earlier take, Sunny’s outburst had always rung in his ears after he said it, as if it was an echo.

He immediately thought about Singto, his head was apparently full of him, especially now. He hated the fact that the old Singto, the version of him that had actively captured his heart before they got into a relationship, was manifesting now. Maybe it was all a delusion, but he was starting to believe that Singto truly wanted him, that he was still in love. 1

He looked down at his drink, his grip tightened.

“You’re not in love with me, you’re just in love with the idea that our relationship can be brought back again,” he quietly muttered to himself.

“No, I’m not.”

Krist froze, as he heard the voice beside him.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking of right now, but stop it. The last thing I need you to do is belittle my feelings,” Singto gave him one last hard glance before he left. The cold breeze rushing through Krist as his heartbeat quickened its pace, internalizing the other’s short parting message.

“You know, Krist, I don’t think you should go back into your spiral of overthinking,” as if Krist couldn’t be interrupted more, he heard Gun speaking from behind him. He turned around and saw that Off was beside him, along with Tay and New, who were all looking at him with somber expressions.

Those four had always been the special people in both Krist and Singto’s life, as they went through everything together. Albeit they aren’t the closest of friends, but they still genuinely cared, and you could always tell especially when there’s someone in need. Gun, particularly, had a knack for knowing people’s struggles and prejudices, it was natural to him.

The truth is that the four of them were already talking about Krist and Singto moments ago, then they saw Singto storming back in from the balcony and they knew something was up. As long as friendships go, they wanted to do anything to cheer the both of them up, but since Tay noted that Singto wanted to be left alone for a while, they decided to go to Krist.

Gun has always noticed that Krist works better with other people because when he’s alone, he locks himself up in this box and overthinks everything, leading to very regretful decisions.

“What are you all doing here?” the lead actor fastened the cap of his bottle and fully turned towards them, a little taken aback at the little huddle they formed. The other staff already went home so it was them five and some of the cameramen still present on the set.

“We’re here to cheer you up,” New said, elbowing Tay on the side as he felt him snicker.

“What? Why?”

Off looked at them all and grinned, “It’s been a while since we’ve all hung out again. And this is a big project so we deserve some slack.”

When Singto left two years ago, there was a silent pact that formed within all of them— to never leave Krist alone. It was actually one of the favors Singto asked with them when he told them he was leaving, and of course, they agreed. Occasionally, they would go out on weekends to eat, play games, watch movies, or just crash at someone’s place and drink.

Gun stepped forward from the bunch and hooked an arm around Krist’s shoulders; it was a bit difficult, yes, but thankfully, Krist bent down a little to give him more leverage.

“Let’s go and eat,” and with that, Krist smiled at them.

As they made their way to Tay’s car who offered to drive them all home, Off delayed himself from the pack and whipped out his phone, sending a quick text.

We’re dining out. You should come, everyone said so.

He put his phone back in his pocket and sighed. Putting on a grin again, he went to them, laughing at Gun complained about Krist’s height.

Chapter Text

When they said they were going out to eat, Krist didn’t know that it also meant going out for drinks. He now sat inside a private karaoke room with his friends, half were now currently dancing and singing to a new k-pop song that was recently released. He figured he should have fun while he’s at it, seeing that his friends are trying so hard to cheer him up.

Tay and Off sat on opposite sides of him. Tay enjoying himself with chicken wings and Off laughing at Gun and New who were at the front, singing.

“I’m just saying, you need to have some fun once in a while. You used to be the life of the party. Come on, drink up,” Off handed him a glass of ice-cold beer. The flashing colored lights illuminated the object in different colors but never replaces the poison inside of it. Krist looked at it in distaste, “I’d rather not.”

“Why?” A classic question.

“The last time I got drunk, it didn’t end well.”

“You hooked up with a stranger?” Tay could not shut up himself and Off glared at him.

“No, I just ended up crying to sleep,” Krist remembered that night all too well, a little too detailed for his liking. The tears, the wailing, the drunk phone call that went to nothing.

“Well, you’re with us now so you don’t have to cry yourself to sleep. You can be shitfaced drunk like the rest of us,” Tay put an arm around Krist’s shoulder and nudged him. The loud singing of the other two in the front was still very obvious but Krist could feel himself loosening up. Maybe it’s good to let go once in a while.

This is why 30 minutes later, six down full glasses of beer, and Krist was already in front of all his friends, singing and dancing. His shirt was already tucked out of his pants, the edge riding up to his belly as he raised his arms. Gun was too busy laughing at him, New was recording the whole thing. Tay and Off were also very tipsy and sang along, the room was now deafening, but filled with laughter and smiles.

Then, they heard a knock on their door. Krist thought it was the staff coming in to refill their beer buckets but upon opening the door, the mic still in hand, he saw his ex-boyfriend looking very shocked. Well, two of them both looked shocked.

“Hey, Singto, my man!” Off stood up and grabbed Singto by the shoulder, ushering him in, “Why did you arrive just now?”

“I had a meeting to attend, and it was too late to cancel when you texted,” Singto stated, and guessed he was already too late because it was apparent that everyone in the room except him was already tipsy, if not, drunk.

“The foreigner, welcome!” New gave him a glass and Singto politely pushed it away, “No, thanks. Somebody has got to take care of your guys.”

“As if you know how to take care of somebody,” Krist stated loudly in his mic, his words were a bit slurry but Singto got every word of it. He took a good look at him and noticed that his face was already flushed from his intoxication, three buttons too many to be unused on his polo, and a staggering stance on the stage. even though he looked like that, there was still a whopping score of 100 plastered on the screen.

“You’re drunk, Krist. Maybe you should go home.”

“No, I’m fine!”

Contrary to his statement, he staggered to lean on the wall, his head was already foggy and his vision was blurry. His alcohol intolerance needs to be higher, this could never happen again, the only sane part of Krist’s thought. The others were also turning silent, passed out cold. Even the little fight that happened between the two exes was tuned out due to their drunkenness. Singto whipped out his phone and stood up, sending a quick message to his manager to contact his friends’ other managers to pick them up and send them home.

“Get away from me!” Krist weakly tried to push Singto away as the other firmly held his waist and led him outside the bar. It was a good thing that the bar was used to celebrities partying there so there was no issue leaving the others inside the room as he left a quick message to his trusted bartender to take care of them.

His phone dinged with a message from P’Jane that there was already another driver to pick them up and P’Yui also offered to drive the other men home. Krist was actually a great pain to carry, considering his weight and his insistent ways to prevent him from having any contact which resulted in more body contact. Singto was starting to get frustrated so he squeezed his hip and whispered into his ear, “If you don’t calm down, then I’ll throw you over my shoulder.”

That got him to shut up.

Krist calmed down but then started to mumble words into Singto’s shoulder, which felt warm and reassuring but his words weren’t, “... stupid… asshole… bastard… p’sing…”

Singto’s breath hitched after hearing that familiar term. He subconsciously placed the arm that was on his waist around his shoulders, the hand was now slowly stroking his arm. Krist felt himself smile at the comforting gesture.

When Singto saw their ride arriving in front of them, he ushered Krist inside, and that left him leaning onto Singto’s shoulder, completely silent. The older figured that he had already passed out, and continued to draw circles on his shoulder, an old habit he used to do before he left.

The driver was kind enough not to question them, he was already a familiar friend and Singto silently thanked him for that, because when they arrived at Krist’s apartment building, Krist was still passed out cold, which required Singto to carry him, bridal style. The lights were already closed, and the on-call security guard looked at them and nodded at Singto to acknowledge them.

The trip up the stairs was already too much of a hassle because Krist was extremely heavy for Singto who wasn’t a bodybuilder despite his muscles. However, he never felt dismayed or irritated because, in a way, it was having Krist in his arms again, no matter what the cause is.

“We’re almost there,” he whispered to no one. There was a tiny problem because he didn’t have the keys to his apartment. It was a good thing that it was in Krist’s pockets so he had an easy time getting it there, Krist was still unconscious.

Opening the door and coming inside, he guided Krist to his bed and laid him there. Then the man started to stir awake, he was still very drunk and out of his mind. Singto looked at him while unbuttoning his shirt all the way, he needed to change Krist into comfortable clothes so he can sleep.

“P’Sing? You’re here?” A small voice came from Krist as he looked at him with hooded eyes. Singto answered him, “Yes I am.”

Within reach, Krist grabbed the collars of his shirt and pulled him to lay on top of him, their chests flushed. Singto was already feeling flustered as he struggled out of his hold, trying to push him away, “Kit, I need to change your—”

“I missed you.”

All his words stopped when he heard him speak. Krist’s eyes may be only half-opened but it spoke volumes of the words he wanted to say but couldn’t process them well, But those three words were enough, to sum up, everything he was feeling right now.

Krist continued speaking. “Where have you been, P’Sing? I looked for you, you know.”

He leaned in, still talking. His voice was soft and full of emotion. Raspy, but raw.

“When I wake up, you’re always gone. You can’t do that to me, P’Sing. Because I will always look for you.”

Krist held his face, caressing his cheek as he smiled, “I hope this dream never ends because I’ve finally found you. I don’t want to let you go. Please don’t let me go.”

The other male on top of him was looking at him, with full sober consciousness, and with a shattered heart, breaking into a million pieces with every syllable he heard. But then, he felt something soft on his lips.

Krist kissed him softly, lightly, as if he was air; as if he was a fragile glass. Singto didn’t know what to do, because it made him feel intoxicated like he was the one drinking all night. He responded to the kiss and wrapped an arm under his lower back. Krist got his own arms wrapped around the other’s neck, and they kissed like two lovers under the gaze of a beautiful moonlight.

Only, this moonlight was a sign of their fiction.

Their kiss was like the kiss they had before everything went downhill two years ago. They kissed as if they were perfect lovers. Both of them poured out every single longing, every emotion they felt, bottling them up.

Singto’s heart was starting to feel happy, but the moment he felt something wet on his cheek, he realized that everything was wrong.

Because somewhere, some time, while they were kissing, Krist had started crying.

The cries turned into sobs.

And then the kisses stopped.

Opening his eyes, he saw the love of his life breaking down, in front of him, while being in his arms. Krist continued to cry, just like in that phone call, wailing like a little kid. Singto didn’t know what to do but to offer the best comfort he can give, and this was the only way he knew how at this moment.

He wrapped his arms around him and hugged him, Krist held on tighter. He continued to sob, and Singto caressed the back of his head, whispering sweet nothings, and a lot of times, he said the word “sorry”.

In a fit of intoxication, Krist ended up tiring himself out with everything, the singing, the crying. When he finally calmed down, Singto felt his hold loosening, and he took this cue to separate himself and take a good look at him. Krist was still hiccuping, his face extra flushed from crying, and he couldn’t help but kiss those stray tears away.

While he kissed his cheeks, he heard Krist speak again in a tiny voice, “Why did you come back?”

“I—”

“I was okay, I was doing well. Why did you have to come back and ruin everything?”

It was true, Krist was doing well, he was thriving in his work, he’s taken care of his family, and he’s happy with his cats. He was finally ready to take the next step in advancing his career, and he was slowly starting to move on. Move on from what, exactly? Krist didn’t know, but he felt like his mind was at peace. His heart was long forgotten.

Fate just had to disrupt all the bits and pieces of peace he’s built for the past years.

Silence followed the two, and when Singto took another look at Krist, he was already asleep. The fatigue and emotional stress have gotten into him, and the older had yet another regret to add to his list: letting his love fall asleep without even saying that he came back because he loved him.

“I came back, it was all for you. And I plan to love you, and never leave you again.”

And finally, truth in his words. Wisdom in his mind, and sorrow in his heart.

Tonight was one of the most painful nights the both of them had gone through in their lives, but one couldn’t help but think that it was all uphill from here. Finally, a new step was taken. Maybe they can continue through this path to freedom, understanding, and forgiveness.

Chapter Text

There’s a funny thing about loving a person. Because they can be either your sweet victory or your dreaded demise. Singto, just like Krist, has fallen in love before. A few people came and went, and none of them ever stayed. For Singto, loving someone was one of the best things he could feel, the exhilaration of simply seeing their message, the ultimate feeling of adoration every time he meets them in person, or the soft lull of relief when he realizes that they are safe in his arms. He has been with different people before, fallen in love with some, others didn’t reach that level. But no one could ever amount to the love he has for Krist, even after being through so many relationships.

Krist was always a constant in his life, ever since he came into his life when they were into university, and booming in the acting industry shortly after; he has learned so much about this man in the span of a decade. He had a lot of time spent with him, a strong friendship that could never be broken was formed, maybe that was the reason why he didn’t realize he wanted more until the day (night, rather) of their concert. Every single emotion was heightened, maybe because of the fact that they were inside a stadium full of roaring fans after months of forced quarantine. Maybe it was the fact that both of their families were there, or maybe it was the countless nights of built-up tension they accumulated over the course of daily practices.

Singto still wished he could go back to that time because he wanted to confess first. But god, Krist just looked otherworldly that night as he stared up into the audience, a smile on his face, sweat down his forehead, eyes twinkling with joy. The way Krist’s hand subtly grasped his out of the eyes of their fans, silently dragging him around behind the stage after their performance. It wasn’t until the later hours of the night that they were able to get alone time together.

Singto would always complain that he was always single as if he didn’t go on dates; when if fact, he actually went on a lot of them. Not to the point that it was happening weekly but he was open to seeing other people, maybe that was just a ruse for his pent-up feelings for Krist— it was definitely a ruse.

“Hey, wanna come over to my apartment tonight?”

“Can’t. I have a date.”

“Okay.”

Such a numerous amount of wasted opportunities, and yet somehow, Krist still accepted his confession that night. And he let it go just like that.

The difference between Singto and Arthit is that while both of them doubted their relationship to survive overseas, Arthit still believed in Kongpob, he remembered that nothing will ever drive them apart, even with a thousand miles separating them. But Singto didn’t believe in such a thing, he failed to believe enough in their love, in their relationship. While Krist wanted him, told him they would be fine, Singto didn’t want to hurt him. In the end, he ended up still inflicting the cruelest of pains upon the love of his life.

___________________________

Waking up with a pounding headache was something Krist never wants to experience again. The bright sunlight peeking out from his window in between the curtains woke his dreamless sleep. He knew this feeling, it was the same feeling he got the last time he got drunk, and now it felt ten times worse because he remembered everything.

He rubbed his eyes, finding himself dressed in his pajamas, the comforting cool sensation offered by his comforter was snuggled around him. As he got up from his slumber, he could hear a voice from his semi-opened door. Then it creaked, making it fully open.

“Krist? Come have breakfast? I tried to order from the small kiosk downstairs.”

The younger was definitely not prepared to confront the one man he had sworn his heart to and sobbed to for the rest of the night a few hours before, but he was also starving. Today, he wasn’t going to let his petty self get the best of him, maybe it was finally time to talk about everything.

“Okay. I’ll be there.”

He left his room to find the dining table already set, with steaming fried rice and stir-fried chicken in the middle. He turned to finally look at Singto who was wearing a mix of emotions, one was a little detached from reality and the other was soft, almost as if he was looking at a baby. Krist felt like he wanted to dash out of his apartment.

“Have a seat.”

They continued to have breakfast in silence. It was awfully quiet, and Krist wanted to burst at the seams, not sure if it was in tears or bountiful screaming. And with the look he was receiving from Singto right now, he’s leaning towards both. He knew that the man across from him wanted to say something that will either make or break their current shaky relationship if there even is one.

Krist noted that the older quietly cleaned the table for them and quickly washed the dishes, forbidding the other to do any chore. Krist awkwardly rested on the living room sofa, waiting for Singto to finish. It was the weekend today, which was why everyone agreed to go out drinking last night. Krist winced, once another wave of headache reached his mind.

“Is your head still hurting?”

“Yeah,” Krist nodded, and scooted over a little to the side, watching as Singto dried his hands on his pants and carefully came to sit beside him.

“It will go down in a few minutes, hopefully,” Singto rubbed at his hands, looking down on them anxiously, “can we talk?”

The other shifted, “We’re talking right now.”

The sun rays reached the spacious living room, illuminating the hazel floorboards and the lift reflected from the glass coffee table. The younger carefully adjusted himself to listen to what the other had to say, preparing for the worst. Ripping off the band-aid. It was now or never.

“Let me say again, before everything we are about to talk about today, I love you, Krist. I am in love with you. In every sense of the word.”

The other felt his heart drop, tears already started to form at the back of his eyes as he clenched his fists. Pursing his lips, he turned to the man beside him, challenging his gaze, “If that’s the case, then why did you hurt me in the first place?”

Singto closed his eyes for a second, breathing in, “I… was a coward. I was terrified.”

“Why?”

“You already knew about my pre-planned education abroad, right? But it was set way before we dated, and I forgot about all of it through the first months of our relationship. And then, when the acceptance letter came, it all crashed down on me.”

Krist noticed how the other’s eyes would dart back and forth from his own hands to his face, a sign that he was holding everything in; now, he wanted to cry back into his arms and hold him, but this was a conversation that needed to be done.

“I knew, that you knew we would come to that point; I had to leave. Because we both knew that I needed this for my career, and I’ve always dreamed of it. But it turns out, more than I was afraid to leave, I was more terrified you would tell me it was okay. That I can go to America. I had you, Kit. I finally had you, and I couldn’t let you go,” his voice cracked, his eyes already welling up with unshed tears.

Singto took the other’s hand and softly kissed the back of it, Krist’s breath hitched. Emotions were too much for him right now.

“You and I both had the same dream of surviving a long-distance relationship. I believed in it too, for once. But all of these thoughts of us breaking up or fighting while I was miles away from you, I couldn’t do anything to be by your side, I don’t want you to go through that pain. I wouldn’t be able to bear it.”

He pressed his lips together as if he was contemplating, the tears in his eyes were barely holding on, threatening to break in a dam, “So I did the exact same thing I never wanted to do ever since I met you. I hurt you. I let you go. Even if you asked me to stay. Not even stay in this country, but stay in this relationship. I was scared, and a hypocrite, Krist.”

Krist couldn’t speak, his palms were sweating under Singto’s hold. The other took that as a sign to continue, “I never forgot about you, the whole time I was there. Your notifications were still on and I followed you wherever you went. I saw you shine, even without me. And I guess that was the good thing that came out of this. But all this time, I still kept wishing I turned back around that night and scooped you up in my arms, and told you I wanted to believe in us.”

Krist remembered everything that happened as if it was yesterday, and he also knew that Singto was hurt just as much as he is. But albeit how many times he got into a fight with him, no matter how many times he was hurt by him, his traitorous heart could never hold that strong sense of anger— not even this time. Unbelievably so, he believed every single word that came out of Singto’s mouth, and he wasn’t so shocked about it.

He had thought about his reasons for years. And this was one of them, he willed it to never be true because it was easier to hate him that way. But seeing him now, ultimately vulnerable, tears falling down his cheeks, it was impossible not to give in.

Reaching close, he took Singto and hugged him tightly, carefully situating himself in the older’s lap and putting his head on the crook of Singto’s neck, holding him close to him, close to heart, closer to his soul. That was all it took for Singto to break down, for both of them to break down.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Singto mumbled in Krist’s shoulder, hugging his waist, and cried. Apologizing for all the years he’s wasted, all the opportunities he took for granted. Krist heard it all, and he continued to sob, his shoulders shaking.

It’s weird how life works.

Krist and Singto sat there, still wrapped in each other’s arms ad they both calmed down. Singto’s hiccups ceased and Krist’s sniffles decreased. The older calmly rubbed Krist’s back, soothing both of them.

“P’Sing.”

“Yes?”

“Did you come back with the intent of not letting me go? Or would we repeat the same thing over again? Because I can’t go through another,” Krist mumbled in his shoulder, and Singto lifted his face, cradling him in his hands, “If you would have me, I am never letting you go for the rest of my life. I may as well marry you right then and there.”

Krist let out another sniffle, his blush from his crying deepening, and Singto chuckled softly.

“It will take time, P’Sing. But I’m glad we finally had this talk. I don’t know what would happen tomorrow, or the next day, and the next. I think… I just want to snuggle like this for the rest of the day and eat takeout, is that okay? I’m also tired from all this crying and my hangover.”

Singto hugged him again, bushing his fingers into the other’s hair, his warmth seeping through and into Krist’s heart, “Anything you want, love. I’ll make you fall in love with me again over and over, even if it’s today, tomorrow, the next day, and the next. But you’re right. We can take a break for today.”

Krist giggled at the last part, his heart feeling lighter than before as he basked in the warmth of Singto’s arms. His phi, his co-actor, his best friend, and the person he loved most in his life. After the storm, there is a wave of still peace, a serene scene. All feelings were laid bare, and tomorrow is another day to make something out of them. After all, now they have all the time in the world to do so.

Even so, life still goes on.

Chapter Text

It’s kind of a funny thing— love.

It’s invisible, intangible, and abstract. No one definition of it, even as you look for it in the famous dictionaries today, when you ask someone about it, there is no answer alike. Love is kind of peculiar, and funny in a way because as it is the most intangible thing on Earth, it has the power to drastically change the life of a person. It is an entity that encompasses all dimensions of the universe.

As Krist sits here right now, in front of a table as they had a meeting with all of the cast and crew for the show, he was sitting directly in front of Singto.

His— ex. Kind of. Now, he doesn’t know what to call him.

Krist has been contemplating for a while now after a week has passed since the incident and Singto has been making small acts of love as he calls it. He doesn’t know how to respond or if he really needs to respond because the latter keeps saying, “You don’t need to do anything.”

He wants to tell himself that he is a strong-willed person that is consumed by heartbreak, hence his points of weakness whenever he receives a stem of a pink rose, a small turtle stuffed toy, or even “good morning, love” texts from Singto.

After they had that mature talk the morning after, Krist was still at odds on what will happen now, what is happening now, and what could be the next step forward because he doesn’t want to just continue it right where they left off. They’ve agreed to start over but how?

As much as he appreciated and felt giddy about Singto’s gestures, it sort of felt… off. They still kept working on the series, and even their director noticed the change in chemistry. But how does one continue after having a relationship with a person, breaking up with them, the other person going back and then courting them again to have a relationship again?

It all sounds so complicated, as Krist would say. And even as he told all of this to Mike who was also at odds on what advice to give him, he just sighed and gave up the topic, to be discussed for another day.

“The first teaser is ready to be released in three days as scheduled. We have predicted that there will be an uproar of fans, both current and old ones, who have supported you since day one. Expect the influx of people to our building, the Twitter trendings, and the amount of engagement for Krist, Singto, and other notable staff and actors for the script.”

“So starting now, you may drop some hints, within approval. If unsure about posting or speaking, then you may either post nothing at all or ask your managers if it is within bounds. Since this is a really big project, considering both of the actors’ history, we would recommend being as discreet as possible.”

“That means no big slip-ups, especially to a certain Nong,” P’Boy directed his look at the man who tried to hide behind his hands as he squeaked a polite, “Yes!”

He could hear an amused chuckle in front of him and he knew that was Singto, with that, his face burned into a ripe tomato. Thankfully the meeting quickly ended after that, and he was quite excited for the trailer to drop it actually looked so good when they had an official first viewing a few days ago.

He had a coffee date to attend to, every three months, as he has promised his fans in order to keep in touch, although it is getting a little more difficult as his fans grew in numbers over the years and it’s harder to find a place that could accommodate those who wanted to attend.

When his manager went to him, holding a cup of coffee in his hand, “Singto told me to give it to you. Seriously, you boys should get a grip already.”

“Oh,” Krist took the cup in his hand and read the note attached to it, “I got you coffee for your coffee date with the Yuyus later, enjoy it, love! –S”

After a scolding under P’Boy’s gaze, they both quickly went to the venue with a notable amount of people already there, some were crew, and most were the fans, ready with their cameras, and small gifts they’d prepared.

“Hello everyone! How are you all doing?”

He could practically feel the floor shake as everyone beamed at him, respectfully still keeping their distance as they greeted him back, with a much more enthusiastic mess of voices, “I’m glad most of you are doing well.”

Krist took a seat in the chair in the middle of the slightly elevated stage, and he politely noted some of the familiar faces in the crowd, greeting them with a wai. He set his half-empty coffee cup on the small foldable table beside him, the note facing towards the back as a precaution.

“So… what’s new?”

A chorus of people brought out different topics, such as “Do you have an upcoming series like the rumors say?”, “How are Pluto and Muffin?”, “You look handsome today P’Kit!”, and the ever eternal, “Have you heard about P’Singto’s return?”

“Slow down,” Krist laughed, holding his mic with his right hand as he tried to segment his thoughts, “Pluto and Muffin are doing well, Pluto’s getting heavier by the day! He always steals Muff’s food.”

“Thank you for the compliment, I think all of you are much more lovely than me.”

“As for my upcoming projects, please do look forward to them as they may start being introduced one by one,” He paused, then winked at them, chuckling as the crowd went wild.

Of course, most of their fans were not loof to the tension whenever they would mention his previous partner’s name, especially during events, eventually, they stopped asking about him. But this time, the fans were different in handling the situation considering all the trending news about the man’s return to Thailand.

“Have you talked to P’Sing yet?”

One brave soul among the crowd asked, her voice an octave higher than the rest, and most of the people turned to her, all with conflicting emotions, some looked irritated, others look plainly shocked while the rest watched with silent curiosity. Krist's smile faltered a bit before he immediately backed it up with energy.

Some people were now shushing the poor girl, telling her to stop and she was rude for asking that. Krist could understand why they reacted this way but didn’t want the girl to feel bad for the question, he already expected this to come today.

“Ah, yes, I have. He’s been doing well adjusting to his life back in Thailand,” As if he doesn’t already practically live in Krist’s bubble, was a thought unsaid.

A series of noises echoed in the room as people’s mixed reactions combined. Again, curiosity, joy, and shock were most of the reactions. In reality, Krist kind of missed this, the way fans would react whenever there is a sort of interaction between his (former) partner on-screen. He would enjoy looking at tweets about them, videos taken from small snippets or conversations, and having the same type of glee whenever they talk about them.

This was Krist’s first family in the industry.

He decided to leave the topic at that and thankfully no one pried for more questions about Singto. Instead of delving into other topics under the sun. Coffee dates were always filled with happiness and joy, as everyone gathered and talked to Krist, like friends catching up.

“I also saw another one of your projects, just how much did you spend on them, hm?”

“Oh no,” several of them paled as they realized what Krist was talking about. Even until now, they would make projects for him and earn money to support his events and show their love. And it has been a running joke that Krist (and a few years ago, also Singto) would scold them for spending money on them.

This coffee date when on for another 30 minutes before it was time to go, Krist waved goodbye at them as he went, but not before going to them to take pictures with them and took selfies. Those of which he would be uploading on his Instagram stories later.

As he was leaving, he almost forgot his coffee cup, which was now approaching a cold temperature as he didn’t get to finish it all, being so busy talking to them. Accidentally, he picked it up at an angle that would show the written message on it to a part of the crowd and he prayed and hoped to god that no one would notice.

Later that night, he knew he underestimated the power of the detective fans.

mist @kitsingfinity
So while I was taking photos a while ago, Krist was about to leave when he quickly picked up a coffee cup. It has a message on it, but can anyone recognize the familiar handwriting? 👀 [Image description: An image from [SEP] Coffee Date, Krist holding a white coffee cup, with a note written in black marker. Krist’s hand was blocking the top half of the note. It can be hastily read from the slightly blurry photo due to Krist’s motion, however, the text was clear: with the Yuyus later, enjoy it, love! –S]

replying to @kitsingfinity
lai @kristtpykreme
Did you get a video of Krist? How did he react to getting that cup? Gentle? Frantic? Was he smiling? WE NEED THE DETAILS

replying to @kristtpykreme
mist @kitsingfinity
I didn’t get it on video but I can vouch that he was frantic and a little careful of the cup, it looked like he was purposefully hiding the cup from us— I am not functioning properly.

Moya @stjinx_moya
OH MY GOD, CAN SOMEONE CONFIRM???

GEGE @gegeperayaonlyy
I don’t want to say anything but THAT’S CERTAINLY A RECOGNIZABLE S 👁️👁️ And who are the people in Krist’s life that have a name that starts with an S?!

andrea @sintanisingto
not to be an official confirmation or anything but this is how Singto writes his S 👀 [Images description: all four photos of several handwritings of “S” all in the same styles, clearly signed from Singto Prachaya from his gift cards or notes to the fans]

joie @kristpinkmilk
I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

Bern @birbberryyy
Does this mean we technically had a coffee date ☕️ sponsored by a certain PHI?

Thi @singtotiddies
Oh my god it’s happening. DID WE ALL MANIFEST THIS?? It’s like all of the fanfiction coming to life 😭 This is a sign, I swear 😩

liked by @r_hiiiiii
IKAY @marrymesingto
Since we’re already on the topic, I was watching the live stream a while ago and when one fan asked about Singto, did y’all see the way Krist reacted?? Idk why but something feels different when he remembered him AAAAA

replying to @marrymesingto
darkaffinity @darkaffinity1
I could write about so many aus of this but KongArt version. It’s life imitating art, I’m crying.

replying to @darkaffinity1
spicy_cool @spices_ice
I THINK I’VE SEEN THIS FILM BEFORE

Sona @hello_singto
he told us he talked to singto, so WE HAVE LITERALLY LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES ON WHAT THEY COULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT 😌

retweeted by @mmmmperawat
min @singtorawr
I think this broke the internet and I’m one of those responsible, excuse me

iri @irem02021
I KNOW I tweeted about this kind of thing happening some time and I am right, I guess I’m the resident oracle.

retweeted by @aminahal5
abi @admirermind
Someone also got another picture from another angle, and it really looks like a cute love note AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SOMEONE HELP ME, LET’S TALK ABOUT the “enjoy it, love!” OKAY????? @perayuhhh have you seen this?

allie @perayuhhh
[GIF description: screaming girl]

Krist looked at the tweets from the fandom while he uses a dummy account, solely for checking on random things, and by random, he means his ex, their fans, and other cute and sometimes sad tweets when he wants to feel emotional.

He was sitting in one of their lounge areas, waiting for P’Boy to finish up some matters with the other artists he was handling. He still has the coffee cup in his other hand as he sipped little ounces of lukewarm coffee, not minding the temperature.

He hovered over tapping the heart button on one of the tweets when someone spoke near his ear, “Hm? Lurking on Twitter privately?”

“Shit! P’SIng! Stop snooping around!”

“Kit, you’re literally on your phone with so much space behind you. You’re lucky it was me who caught you, but a pleasant surprise was seeing that you were about to like a tweet about us.”

Krist promptly shut his phone and seethed at him, “No I was not.”

“It’s okay, Krist. I do it too,” Singto grinned, smiling even wider as he saw Krist still holding the cup in his hand, “Did you like my note, love?”

The other man felt a chill run down his spine as he heard the nickname in person. Truth was, Singto sometimes used that endearment when they were still dating. It felt… weird to hear it again, “Don’t call me that. Someone may hear you.”

“I don’t care, the whole building already has bets on us.”

“What?”

“Can I take you somewhere for dinner? My treat.”

Singto offered him, and Krist felt his cheeks heating up, “But I’m waiting for P’Boy.”

“I’ll explain it to him, so, what do you say?”

He sighed, standing up and finishing the last of his coffee, looking at Singto with a firm resolve, “Dinner. As friends.”

“Okay. As friends. For now.”

“Pardon?”

Singto threw up his hands in surrender, smiling cheekily, “Okay, okay you win.”

Krist quickly checked for the room P’Boy was in and motioned for the older to go inside and explain, Singto prompt following.

As Krist turned away to check on his phone again, he didn’t hear the last murmured words from Singto to him.

“Thank you, love.”

The man opened up Twitter again and liked one tweet from one of their fans today.

At the end of the day, we’re all just mere witnesses of the same story. But looking at what’s happening between Krist and Singto, I wonder what Arthit and Kongphob would have said to them in another life.

Chapter Text

“I watched the live of your coffee date today,” Singto begins, taking a sip of his iced tea. They were sitting in a booth at a restaurant that was a little fancy for Krist’s usual, but the good thing is there are only a few people dining in. He loved the privacy it gave.

Krist stared at the various dishes laid out on the table, eyeing them with awe. Singto had ordered a few unfamiliar dishes for them but insisted that he also try them because it was just too good. He was in the middle of tasting one of the curry dishes when Singto mentioned the live. For lack of a better word, his distracted face just displayed before the man, and a non-committal, “Hm?” came out of him.

Singto chuckled in front of him, picking up a napkin and dabbing at the corner of his mouth, before gracefully putting it back down on the table, “You looked really happy talking to them.”

“Well yeah, they’re my everything. And they’re not just Yuyus, P’Sing. They’re Perayas too. Some are even Samoons. But they’re all family to me,” Krist replies, mouth twitching because of all the emotions swarming his chest right now. Singto’s smile turned even softer. Then he nodded in agreement, “That’s true. They’re family to me too.”

Krist gives him a smile of his own and Singto feels his heart lurch in his chest. God, this man looked beautiful. Clearing his throat, he continues to broach on the topic, “So, what have you been doing these past few years while I was… abroad?”

“Oh, you mean the time you broke up with me and left me in the dust here in Thailand?”

And now the bubble popped.

Both of them had winced at the sharp retort but Krist quickly tried to remedy the situation, “I’m sorry. Maybe my petty side still got the best of me, but I’m sorry if this is a little arrogant of me, did you see any news about me these past few years?”

Almost like every fucking day I was camping in all your social media and your Twitter fandom. Singto grins, a little too sweet, “Yes, I have.”

“And you still want me to talk about it?” Krist asks, chewing on a piece of meat from one of the soups. The other man shrugs, “Why not? I love hearing your voice, I love when you talk about things, and I would prefer of these stories come out from your own mouth.”

“Well,” Krist pauses, the tips of his ears tinged pink at the forwardness of Singto’s words, “I… continued my career in music. I still continued acting, although a little less now because I wanted to keep making more music. This project is one of the few I’m doing for this year. I never really did much since you left. I mean, I had nothing to do. Sometimes I went out, some of my friends tried to set me up but I never really went to any of them.”

Singto’s eyes widened a little, but Krist continued, “Pluto and Muffin got older, and they both made a little more mess of the apartment. I also considered formally studying music but I was swamped with work. I went to Pattaya once, alone. Kind of isolated myself for a few days. It was nice. And… nothing really out of the blue, I guess.”

Then he turned to him, “My life surely is less eventful than yours. You probably partied every week with your American friends right? I heard those were wild. Probably got in a few dates and made the best films—”

“I wasn’t happy in the States.”

“...What?”

“I mean, I was happy to finally pursue my studies in Film, but I was never as happy as I was before I left. I never went to those parties, and most of my friends were also foreign exchange so most if not all of them are Asian and probably also preferred not to attend those parties. And I have never found someone or met someone else,” he took another sip of his iced tea, not breaking eye contact with Krist’s slack-jawed face.

“I don’t regret pursuing my dreams, but I regret pursuing my dreams without you.”

“Dessert, sir?”

There was a waitress suddenly in front of them and as soon as she realized that they were in the middle of a serious conversation, she panics, “Oh my, I-I’m so sorry—”

“Oh no, you were right on time. We’ll have two banana splits please,” Krist was thankful for her timely presence because his ears and his cheeks were now beet red as he avoided making eye contact with the man in front of him.

“Banana splits? Oh, Krist, are you okay? You look a little red.”

“Uh. I’m… going to the bathroom!” He stood up and briskly walked to the comfort room, easily dodging other tables. Thankfully, it was empty so he had time for himself. He quickly got in front of the sink and looked in the mirror, frowning at his scarlet reflection. He quickly splashed his face with water and took out some paper towels to dry his face, hopefully cooling down his complexion.

This is not new for him. Before Singto left, he was always left a blushing mess in front of the man. His skin literally displayed his heart, and he curses himself for his own pale skin genes in comparison to Singto’s delici— tan skin. It was unfair.

It was also unfair how the image when he went back to his table was one of the cutest things he had ever seen with Singto beaming at the banana split in front of him and taking a picture to post on his IG story.

He had always known this man had a secret sweet tooth. On some occasions, Singto used to get sudden cravings for sweets and he thought that it had been a while since he probably had a sugar rush so he was glad his quick thinking was able to make him happy.

“Today’s the day!”

A collection of celebratory noises echoed in the room, with all of the cast and crew huddled and sitting around the long meeting table. The two main casts were sitting beside each other, each with mirroring grins on their faces. There was a group of social media personnel in another room, doing final proofreading and final calls before the teaser dropped.

They were going to do a press conference after the teaser drops on social media, to which the stage was already set. During that press conference, they will drop the actual trailer, and introduce the two main casts on stage. They’ve estimated an uproar on Twitter, on the internet, really. Considering the number of times they have repeatedly broken the internet before Singto left.

“Cast, go to hair and makeup and have your final touches. Also, check your Twitters, make sure to retweet it as the teaser drops, all of you. Let’s have a successful launch today, everyone!”

They were all redirected to hair and makeup, where Krist and Singto were being dressed and were given touch-ups side by side. They kept stealing glances in each other’s mirrors, but Krist always averted his aze while Singto always kept his. Shameless, really. The make-up artists had to look at each other and shake their heads.

They were almost done with makeup and they heard Tay shout, “It’s out, guys!”

They all immediately went to their phones and quickly retweeted the video. No doubt, all of them received blasted notifications immediately. Krist and Singto both agreed to turn off their phones in the meantime, at least after the press conference. The room was bustling with all of the artists and crew chatting about the teaser when there was a familiar voice that could be heard clearly in Krist’s and Singto’s ears.

A soft voice, filled with the familiar joy, “Oh my god! I knew you guys would be back!”

“P’Putza!” Krist immediately stood up and turned around, beaming at her. It’s been a long while since he met her, as she was booked less and less since Singto left and the company hired other hair artists for his work. He missed her too much. The petite woman was also grinning from ear to ear as Krist hugged her, laughing brightly.

He could also hear the chair beside him being pushed back and he knew it was also time for Singto to have his moment with her, “P’Putza! I missed you so much! How are you?”

She turned to him and also gave him a big hug, them chatting and making long overdue conversation. It was good that the hair stylist was done with them both, and he could hear Putza mentioning, “Oh! Someone just brought me here and told me I had to be here. So I’m really just a visitor for today! But it seems like I’ll be seeing you guys more often today, huh?”

“Oh, you have to stay until after the launch. There’ll be lots of food and drinks, everyone’s invited!” Krist tells her, still smiling from ear to ear, and Putza quickly nods. It was then that time, they could hear the opening remarks of the conference on the stage outside, and they were bound to come out at any moment now.

One of the stage directors had already signaled both of them and with a quick goodbye, they also waved towards everyone. The other cast members will be coming out after, but they will be the first ones to come out after the full trailer is shown during the launch.

The familiar sounds of the trailer already could be heard, which means they also have to be in place beneath the stage in order to be lifted as an entrance. As the stage director directed them to the lifting stage, they could also determine that the trailer was almost over. Krist was also in his head right now, hands shaking with nerves as he tried calming down with deep breaths. Then he felt a hand sliding into his left hand, holding it.

“Is this okay?” He turned to the side. It was dark, but there was no one else. Strangely enough, despite the darkness surrounding them, he could clearly see Singto’s face.

“Yeah,” Krist gave him a soft smile. He squeezed his hand and froze when Singto gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He turned to him, who was beaming. Krist shakes his head and lets out a small chuckle.

Now, they felt the ground beneath them shaking. It was go-time.

“Let’s all welcome the power, the legend, the ultimate pioneers of this industry. Award-winning best actors, best couple, and best chemistry who set the standard: Krist Perawat and Singto Prachaya for Destiny Calls!”

Chapter Text

The chaos was deafening. Literally. They should have worn earbuds for this, they should have known.

While they were being lifted up the stage, Krist tightly squeezed his partner’s hand. He was practically sweating out of every single inch of his skin, and he could feel himself starting to hyperventilate. But the moment their heads were visible to the crowd, every single person, from the fans to the media, they were screaming at the top of their lungs.

He could feel it again. The way he felt every time he worked with Singto. The familiar thrill in his spine, the pounding in his ears, and the exhilaration thrumming in his veins. His smile slowly grew bigger and bigger until he looked at the person beside him, who was already smiling, swiftly meeting his gaze as Singto was already staring at him even then.

The feeling was surreal, like the first time they went on stage together after the first episode of SOTUS.

Only this time, it felt even more unbelievable that people could still react like this to their work. Maybe it’s the shock factor, Krist can’t tell, but he was definitely not imagining it would be this big.

It wasn’t even an official announcement that they would be the artists or even the main couple, they had just put out the official tweets seconds ago. But still, he could see familiar faces in the crown, the people who have supported them since day one. They were still here.

It feels like an eternity before the crowd was basically forced to calm down, with the host gently but firmly placating the chaos happening. Both of them could not speak or say something yet, as their role was to simply show up first and speak after the trailer.

When it was all calm, Krist noticed a part of the crowd at the back was rushing for something, and as the lights turned low in the room, he felt the wind being punched out of his chest as the familiar “คริสสิงโต” lit up.

Now, they both felt like crying.

“Okay, now that everyone’s hopefully calmed down,” the host chuckled briefly, “I’m sure everyone’s dying to hear from the men of the night!”

Another loud uproar. Krist felt loved.

He has always felt loved. Around his family, his friends, his fans, everyone. But seeing this and feeling this kind of love brings back so many memories because it was always one of his favorites. Peraya has always given him a different kind of love, one that he cannot describe but it was unwavering. He always knew they were there, even when Singto wasn’t there, even if Krist wasn’t there, but they continued to support them individually after they parted. And now, witnessing everything in real-time, them working together again, Krist knew it was going to be a blast. This is happiness.

“Hi! Long time no see,” Krist chuckled, playing on words he was only seen in public a few days ago. The crown laughed with him. The man beside him holding a microphone, the first in a long while, took a deep breath and mimicked his greeting, “Hi! It’s been a long time!”

And the crowd went wild again, the signs were shaking as so many people were jumping and excited to greet Singto in this setting again. Even the journalists were waving enthusiastically. Krist looked at him and engaged in small talk. After being given the outline of instructions they were supposed to do on stage, this was nothing new to him.

(He doesn’t want to think that this was especially easy for him because it was Singto.)

“Look at the crowd we have here today!”

“Indeed. Ah, I’m not used to this anymore,” Singto replied, still waving at everyone, “What a day, huh?”

“Yeah. This must be a shock to everyone.”

The host cleared his throat, gesturing towards them, “I can definitely say for everyone not present in this venue, for the people who are currently watching the live stream, that the energy and the chaos in this room are amazing. Krist, is there anything you want to say about this new big project for you two?”

“Well, what else can I say? I am so grateful to be given this opportunity to work on such an important project with my longest and most reliable partner, P’Singto!” Krist could feel the eyes of Singto boring holes into his cheek, and he tried to mask his flush by turning him and diverting the question, prompting him to answer as well.

“I am excited to be able to share this project with you all and definitely, I am so glad to be able to work with Krist again. Coming home after two years, this project is a way for me to thank everyone for their support all of these years! It’s nice to be back,” Singto smiles at the crowd, and Krist can tell it was one of his best smiles. From ear to ear, the cute tanned cheeks almost too good to be pinched, and the pearly white teeth beaming at the audience.

Numerous camera flashes continued as they proceeded with some small talk again, giving insight into their characters in the story and how they felt about their roles. They answered some questions from both the crowd and the journalists, and soon after, they were escorted off the stage to do some touch-ups and formally end the event with a promise of newer information about the series in a few weeks.

After the post-event solo interviews, with Krist expertly dodging questions about his shaky past before Singto left, the reason why they had static to no interaction during those years, and Singto’s expert deflection of how was he able to cope far from home, not wanting to divulge the details of his difficult times, they were finally done with the day. By this time, the sun had already set.

With the beautiful crescent moon being a generous light source in the dark of the night, Singto and Krist were directed into separate vans to go home to their respective apartments.

It was definitely a taxing day, and Krist just wanted to lay down on his best, cuddle with his cats, and have a long night’s sleep. He was exhausted, but definitely satisfied. Today was a good day.

He was able to doze off shortly on the way back home when his phone buzzed.

Singto: Hi

Krist: hi

Singto: Are you free tomorrow?

Krist pauses, his mind suddenly working into overdrive as he focuses on the question, briefly reflecting on his schedule.

Krist: I think so, why?

There were typing bubbles, appearing and disappearing like every two seconds. It is not helping Krist’s heart rate.

Singto: My nephew, Mario, and I will be going out to the amusement park tomorrow. His parents allowed us to go out together. And my nephew is also a big fan of you and your music, so I was wondering if you could go with us?

Mario. Krist knew him, of course, he was practically a baby the last time he saw him, and he was always being cooed at by the adults, whenever Krist would see him together with Singto and his family. Maio was adorable, and he also had a history of behaving whenever Krist would cradle him or pick him up.

Through the years, he has continued to visit Mario from time to time, however, his visits trickled when Singto left, Krist had felt that it was not appropriate for him to keep seeing Singto’s family after a bad parting. But he still missed Mario and seeing him grow up.

At this point, it was already a losing battle.

Krist: Okay. What time do we go? Do you need me to pick you up?

Then, a line sticker of a happy cartoon lion was sent on Singto’s end. Krist rolled his eyes and laughed under his breath, he could feel his manager’s eyes on him. He decided to ignore this in the meantime.

He could feel the other man’s enthusiasm through his texts and how they ended the conversation. And at this point, Krist does not feel the need to hide his smile at Singto’s antics.

He doesn’t have to hold back anymore.

_____________________________

Of course with the recent announcement, they had been trending and their names were hot on social trending. And Krist was a little worried that they were going to be swarmed but remembered that through all these years, their fans had always been respectful, especially when they were in public. So with these high hopes, he wants this to be a really nice day for Mario, and for Singto.

He dresses up in casual attire, knowing that they will be staying away from scary adult rides for today in lieu of giving Mario all the experience of being a kid in an amusement park. So when he sees Mario coming out from the gate, beaming at him from the window, he couldn’t help but come out of his car and hug the little guy, “Hey, nong! I missed you!”

“P’Kit! I missed you so much!” Mario hugged him and giggled as Krist struggled to pick him up, “Oh, looks like you’re getting bigger! I don’t remember it being this hard to pick you up.”

“Yeah! It’s been a while since you came to visit and I always eat vegetables to be healthy just like what mommy says! Uncle Sing is always telling us about how you don’t like to eat vegetables and I should encourage you more.”

Krist turned to look at Singto who was laughing on the side. He briefly glared at him before pinching the kid’s cheek, “Well, I like vegetables now. See? We’re both healthy and ready to go to the park!”

Once they had settled inside the car and drove off, Krist was pleasantly listening to Mario go on and on about school and how they were so lucky that it was their summer break so that they could go out today.

Thankfully, this time was not the peak time for most school breaks, it was in the middle of the week and the park wasn’t filled with so many people.

They were able to easily secure tickets, and Krist’s so happy to see Mario’s small jumps of giddiness. Mario took Krist’s right hand and Singto’s left hand and positioned himself between them, and Krist wanted to cry because this was exactly the way he imagined his future would be.

Him, with his partner, and a kid. With seven cats. That he was allergic to but gained immunity from the proximity.

“Look! There’s a caterpillar ride! Oh, Uncle Sing! I want to go there!”

“Sure, sure. Watch your step, Mario! Don’t run off, P’Kit and I should be with you always,” Singto crouched down and warned him, gently patting his head as they went on their way to the said ride. Thankfully, the ride allows a maximum of three people for each row, and it was a pretty tame ride, with it going in circles and going across some elevated bumps and arches.

The next rides were simple, not an issue for Krist at all, because he was deathly afraid of heights. And he gets dizzy easily, but Mario has a knack for going on rides every 2 minutes, so his breakfast is climbing a little in his throat now. Thankfully, Singto put a pause on the continuous rides and asked, “Hey, aren’t you guys hungry? It’s already lunchtime. We can try for simple rides after. Let’s go to the food court and we’ll buy anything you want to eat, yeah?”

Mario beamed, “Okay!”

Mario went on first in the direction of the food court, Krist and Singto following closely. Krist briefly held Singto’s elbow while they were following him and told him, “It’ll be my treat for lunch. Pick anything you want, okay?”

Singto turned to him and grinned, “What if I want you?”

Krist quickly turned to glance at the now walking kid, as they were already close to the food court, and picked the other’s elbow, “Don’t push it!”

Singto laughed and went ahead, grabbing Mario’s hand and pointing at different fast-food chains. Krist gazed at them both, a soft smile on his face. His eyes focused on the older man, who was beaming at the child, smiling and laughing.

He then murmured, to himself, “Maybe we could make that happen someday.”

“P’Kit! Are you coming?” Mario asked, already picked up by Singto. Krist shook his head and walked over to them, directing them to his favorite food stall.

In time. All wounds heal with time.

Chapter Text

Singto was truly grateful for the kids. They are what rainbows are made of. They are the light of the world.

And he's not just saying that because his favorite nephew is currently the most adorable kid in the world with the most adorable man in the world. And if he promises to be the best fucking uncle in the universe to Mario's parents tomorrow, they don't have to know why.

After a long day at the amusement filled with tons of sweets, both literally and figuratively, Singto and Krist had decided to call it a day. They also noticed Mario being groggy when they went on their last ride on the Ferris wheel, and soon, Mario was hanging onto Krist's side and walking while his eyes were closed.

Singto started, "Oh, let me—"

"No, I've got it," Krist hoisted him up in his arms and carried him while positioning his head to fit comfortably on his shoulders.

Singto was going to combust into flames. Oh dear, Krist was truly a sight to behold with kids. He added another mental birthday gift to Mario for his 21st birthday now. It started at 7th.

Together, they walked silently back to the car. Singto carefully placed the bag of merchandise purchased from the park, and Krist strapped Mario carefully on the seatbelt, placing a pillow on his lap which the boy cutely hugged.

A good hour later, Mariow was fully asleep at the back, and the two adults had been making hushed small talk to not disturb Mario's sleep. Singto loved every second of it. Well, he was never really picky when it came to spending time with Krist. Any second with him is precious.

In his head, he probably sounds like an unbelievable sap, but Singto was never ashamed. Every day he repents for what he lost, and he's bound to make it right again.

After dropping Mario off at his parents', Krist went on the route to Singto's place. The man was thrilled that he was still with him at this late in the night. So he'd be damned if he doesn't try to stretch it out.

"Noodles?" Singto asked, in the silence of the air. Krist's eyes fluttered to him, and he looked forward again, only giving him a slight nod and opening the radio. Singto murmured to himself, "Yes!" He should have patted himself on the back but he was going to overdo it.

Noodles was code for Mae Manaow's.

Given the fact that they went there with hostility not too long ago, it feels weird to go there again. But They both loved the noodles there. It was one of their favorite things to do together. It was why they were so close to Mae Manaow in the first place.

Seeing Krist drive in the dim of the night was breathtaking. Singto didn't even have the time to school his expression before Krist was turning to him, having already parked just outside the shop and Krist also paused as he noticed the burning stare.

Because it was dark, Singto didn't have the sharp eyesight to witness Krist's subtle blush forming on his face.

When they were seated at their usual booth, it was good that it wasn't packed today. Just the usual locals, who recognized them and waved. They were going to call their order when they heard a loud yell, "They're HERE?"

Then there was a sharp clang of pans, and the familiar Mae dashed to their table, wearing her apron and smiling at them, "You're back!"

"Yeah!" Krist laughed. Singto laughed as well, looking warmly at the woman who had seen them grow together. Manaow gleefully said, "I'll be right up with your usual! You're in luck because we just had a fresh batch of shrimp."

Singto grinned, he loved shrimp.

When Mae got back in the kitchen, Krist brought out his phone and answered a call from his manager. Singto knew the familiar ringtone when it heard it. Raising one finger to excuse himself, Krist turned away while answering in hushed tones, but Singto could still hear it. He guessed it was about their pair work, seeing as Krist was letting him hear about the conversation.

"Yes, P'Boy. We'll be there... Mhm... Yes! He's with me now... Please don't... Okay... Bye."

He wasn't going to say it, but Singto really wanted to listen to the conversation. When Krist ended the call, he turned to him, and Singto was delighted to see the subtle flush on his neck, "What did he say?"

"He said that our joint press tour tomorrow is rescheduled to prepare an hour earlier. And to come pick you up so that it can save time," he replied, diverting his eyes from directly looking at Singto's a little.

Singto smiled a little but held it back, "You don't have to pick me up, you know."

"I know. But I'm going to do it anyway. It's not like we're going to be separated anytime soon." Unlike the time that you left was on the tip of his tongue but it would be a bad joke to ruin the night.

"Don't worry, I'm never going to be out of your hair as long as you allow me to," Singto casually threw out. He could hear a squeak nearby and he didn't know if it was from himself, Krist, or the other table that kept looking at them.

"Here is your usual. So nice to see you guys back here! I hope things are better than before, ah?" Mae asked them, placing the two steaming bowls of noodle soups with a larger amount of toppings than usual. Krist plastered a tight smile and nodded, giving her a proper thank you. Singto nodded, "Yeah, it's better now!"

"Glad to hear it. I hope next time, you guys come back married— Oh I'm coming, 'luk!"

There was a loud slurp heard from Krist and Singto awkwardly coughed, the image of a silver band seared at the back of his mind. Then he noticed Krist's chopsticks in his bowl.

There it was, the familiar image of Krist transferring his shrimp toppings on Singto's bowl because he knew Singto loved them.

"...Thank you."

"It's nothing. Just eat, it'll get cold," Krist tried to brush it off but Singto was already tearing up. The man schooled a straight face and turned to eat the extra delicious noodles. And if Krist heard a small sniffle, then he chose to ignore it.

When Krist dropped Singto off at his home, Krist parked the car. Singto was at war with himself, because he didn't know what to do.

He turned to his house and found the reason why Krist got out of the car with him. His father was there, a small smile on his face. He was sitting on a chair right by the porch, looking directly at Krist. When Singto opened the gate, he gestured for Krist to come in.

He politely entered and Singto led him to his dad, "Por, this is—"

"Pa, nice to see you again," Krist leaned in and lightly hugged Singto's father, which elicited a downright gasp from his mouth. His father laughed, and patted him on the back, "Son. It's been a while."

Another gasp.

"S-Since when..."

"Krist always visited here from time to time even when you guys parted. He made sure the house was taken care of, too. Not that you had any shortcomings with that, though."

His father, who had preferred to be reserved and silent was still holding Krist at arm's length and told this story. Singto smiled at them, his heart beating in his ears, and tried to segway the conversation to a close, "Well. That's nice to know. We have an early day tomorrow, so I think it's also best to let Krist rest after a long day, yeah?"

Krist nodded, squeezing his father's hand one last time, "I missed you, Pa. I promise I'll come by more often. Your lawn needs a little trimming, by the way," he subtly sent a sharp look in Singto's direction to while Singto quickly avoided.

When they got back to Krist's car, he accompanied him to the driver's side. It was an awkward gesture, with Krist reluctantly reaching for the door handle when Singto's voice stopped him.

"Krist."

"... yes?"

"You can punch me or push me back, but I'm going to hug you right now and I hope you're okay with it. Because if I don't hug you, then I'm afraid I may cry in the middle of—"

Two arms wrapped around him, one over his shoulder, and the other around his ribs. It was their hug. Singto breathed out the air he had been holding, and wrapped his arms tightly around Krist, breathing in his scent. Tears pooled in his eyes, and he shakily let them drop, his breathing uneven.

He knew that the other man was aware of his emotions, and Singto was glad he didn't make a comment on it.

This hug meant everything to him. Singto was uneasy, overflowing with love, regret, happiness, and longing all in one. He didn't know how Krist felt, how long this stalemate would last if this was a ticking time bomb, or just his paranoia. But now, knowing how much Krist still cared for his family, even if they had a fallout.

He wanted to convey everything he wanted to say with this hug, and even if they looked like idiots hugging in the middle of a dimly lit road, Singto did not care. Even if his eyes were partly red-rimmed. When he felt like the hug was coming to an end, Singto nodded to himself, and whispered, "I'm sorry again, and I love you, so much."

Singto pressed a small kiss on the side of Krist's head and let him go. Then he quickly wiped his eyes and inhaled softly, "Thanks for today. See you tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah." Krist got into his car quickly and drove off. Singto didn't even get to see the look on his face before he left.

Singto took his time to go back inside his house. He was smiling sardonically, carefully locking the door for the night. He was about to head to his room when a voice interrupted him.

"Are you two okay now?"

"Oh god, don't scare me like that Por!"

His dad rolled his eyes and stood up, looking at Singto directly, his eyes sharp, and his mouth pursed. Singto knew exactly what his father felt; growing up with him had always given him the slight edge in telling what the other was thinking, and that goes both ways. His father spoke, "I didn't tell you about his visits because I know it's a sensitive topic for both of you. But since you managed to come here with him, it was best that you knew too."

Singto did not need this right now because he was about to cry again. But he had to be strong, so he asked him, "He took care of you and the house? For the two years I was away?"

"Yes. He came here once a month, bringing groceries and doing yard work. He planted some of those shrubs on the porch. Jane and Nham also had no idea, as they always missed him when they came over."

Singto paused, taking notice of his father's quirked-up corner mouth, "Did he ever tell you what he felt about me?"

"No. He always kept talking about you positively. I think he was also wagering on the fact that I may not have been aware of your... breakup."

The son walked up to his father and hugged him tightly. After all of this, a hug from his dad always made everything feel better. He could feel his father's breathy laugh, and a pat on his back, "I'm glad you brought him back here with you. Make sure you never let go of him again, you hear me?"

"Yes, por."

Chapter Text

After dropping him off, Krist went home. Home home. After a much-needed break from thinking alone, and wallowing with his cats, he just wants to come home to his parents and seek comfort. One thing about Krist's parents is that they are very supportive of everything that he does. Whether it may be a simple song, or cooking a new dish, they've always been there to cheer him on.

And when Singto left, they were always there to be the shoulders to cry on. They were there when Krist was sobbing his heart out, or waking up in the middle of the night with teary-eyed faces, his mom warming up a glass of milk for him to drink. They would send him different kinds of teas that can help with sleep better, or cook him a very nice meal just like the ones he used to have when he was a kid.

When he arrived at the gates of the house, he couldn't help but smile. He was smiling a lot these days. Maybe because he was slowly healing from all the hurt that's been caused. Maybe it's because he's slowly accepting the fact that forgiveness is something that comes on its own.

As he stepped inside the household, it was oddly quiet, with the sound of a faucet running and tableware clacking. He knew it was just the end of their dinner, as his parents were both in the kitchen, his father wiping down the table and his mom washing the dishes.

His parents loved to spend time together. They were the first people who taught him the meaning of love. Yes, they have arguments and have fights, but nothing escalates to the point of yelling and ultimatums. His dad never liked yelling, and he's always believed in being calm even at the worst times. His mom felt the same.

He was raised in a very loving home. And he couldn't help but remember that this kind of home, he also felt with Singto.

"Oh? Krist is here! Come sit, come sit!" His dad ushered him to sit down, even after cleaning the table. Krist smiled and still sat down despite his protests, "No, no. I already ate! Really."

"Oh, but you should have fruit for dessert. We bought durian today, and they're so sweet. Your mom is preparing it right now," his father said while he took out small plates and a few forks. His mom had already taken out the recently chilled durian, already opened and peeled. Krist smiled as the familiar scent went to his nose.

"You look like you had a long day, son. But you look well, so it must be a good day then?" His mom sat down beside him, putting a slab of durian on his plate. His dad was on the other chair beside him, taking a bit out of his own durian serving. Krist took a bit as well, momentarily savoring the taste of the fruit.

"I was out today with Mario... and P'Sing."

"Oh! Oh my!"

"Mae!" Krist gently scolded his mom, all while his cheeks were blazing from the heat. His father chuckled beside him, "Yes, I know you two have been seeing each other."

"I didn't think they were already on dates, honey!" His mom said, and Krist shook his head, "It was not a date!"

"Oh... how long has this been going on then? As much as I love Singto, I know you didn't have a nice parting the last time you saw each other."

"And you called us a few days ago, saying that you were still mad at him. So, are you okay?" His dad continued, placing a hand on Krist's shoulder. Krist leaned on it, finding solace in the warmth. His mom also placed a hand on his arm, saying, "Are you guys okay now? Did you talk?"

"Yes, Mae. We talked. I'm still trying to process everything, but I think it's getting better. I feel less... hostile around him."

"That's good, darling. It's been too hard for you both on what happened and with this recent work you've been together, you're bound to face it head-on. I'm proud of you for taking a step forward and talking to him."

His father smiled, "Yeah. Singto is also like our son, and I know how much he made you happy, and how much he made you cry. Just tell us if there's something wrong, I know we can still scold him like the old days."

Krist let out a small grin at his parents, feeling impossibly lighter than he did even after all of the things that happened today. He's learning to forgive.

It's just a matter of if he learns how to love again.

"This cafe has monkeys! They take care of monkeys!"

"What? Let me see!" New grabbed at Gun's phone, his eyes wide as he searched for the article. The other two on the corner laughed, already planning another cafe weekend for them all.

Gun looked at him deadpan, "I highly doubt it's going to be very pleasant though."

"Don't be a downer, dear. It's going to be fun. With the amount of monkeys this country has, most people should know how to properly care for them now," Off added, sitting down next to him. New beamed, already taking out his own phone to put the pinned address on his notes.

Tay went to them, and sat on the other chair next to New, "So, are we all good to try this cafe this weekend?"

"But really, a cafe again?" Gun groaned, sinking into Off's side, with the latter offering a squeeze on his arm as comfort.

"Why don't we ask Krist to tag along again? It's been a while since he came with us," New gestured to Krist, who was on the other side of the glass panel, opening the door, carrying a cup of iced coffee.

When they all stopped talking and stared at Krist, the other man paused, eyes darting to each of their faces, "Hello?"

"We're going to a monkey cafe this weekend, Krist. You should come," Tay said, grabbing New's phone and showing the location, Krist leaning in, squinting a bit to read.

He leaned back, face a bit unreadable, and the other four stared at him in silence and anticipation. When Krist nodded, all of them yelled, "Yes!"

Krist shook his head at their antics, finding it amusing that even after all these years, they were still the same bunch. He looked at his phone again, with Singto's message, I'm coming up.

Then in a quick decision, he blurted, "Can we invite P'Sing?"

There was a squeak heard, Krist was unsure which one of them was it, but when he saw Gun glaring at P'Off, he knew. New cleared his throat, "S-Sure. It's been a while since we've gone to a cafe with him."

"Too bad we're not going out for drinks then..."

"Off, shut up." The others hissed, and Krist's face flushed at the reference. He looked at them all and laughed nervously, grabbing a seat beside Off and sat down.

They continued with the conversation, Krist didn't even remember why they were being gathered here right now. But it was still nice, spending time with them.

When they heard the creaking of the door opening, they all looked up to see Singto, with his own iced coffee, and a cookie. Krist remembers not seeing the cookie when he went to the coffee shop downstairs, and Singto immediately spotted him, rushing over.

"Hey, I got you a cookie. I know you like these," Singto placed the cookie in front of him, the others were silently staring at the exchange.

It was only then that Singto noticed the other people in the room, all holding their breaths. Their shoulders jumped when Singto spoke, "Yes?"

"Uh, well, Krist was just suggesting that you should come with us to a monkey cafe this weekend," Tay answered for all of them. Singto's eyes flickered to Krist, who was turning pink by the second, and smiled at them all, "Sure. I'd love to go."

"That's settled, then! We'll send you the details, or if Krist prefers..." Gun trailed off, looking hesitantly at Krist.

Krist just nodded, patting the seat beside him, and showing Singto the location on his phone. Singto smiled at him, a little more mellowed, but softer. When Singto sat down, Krist quickly thanked him for the cookie, biting on it.

Singto shook his head, trying to not panic internally as he thought about Krist's adorable expression, "So... a monkey cafe, huh?"

"Yeah! If I remember correctly, you guys got jumped by monkeys at the market before, right?"

Krist turned to look at New and he couldn't help a laugh escape out of himself, Yeah. It was chaotic. Holy shit, I was so terrified."

"I think Kit thought he was going to get mauled," Singto added. Krist briefly shortcircuits at Singto's slipped nickname.

Tension was slowly subsiding in the group as they recalled all their wild moments with the monkeys in Thailand. It was truly an experience that every one of them had encountered at least once.

Singto grinned at Krist, finding himself just focusing on the man before him, happily talking with their friends. Like every time Krist talks, smiles, laughs, the colors around him just seem a little bit brighter.

"Since the promotion and the announcement of the series, everyone has been raving about it on social media."

There was a collective cheer in the room, the main cast seated together. Krist was beaming from ear to ear, looking at his phone, and scrolling through the hashtag. Even the other staff were smiling like him, clearly very excited for the outcome of this project.

"It's about time we proceed with the PR stuff. Interviews, teasers, Press Tours, and events. All of you will be dispersed, depending on your respective schedules. But there will be a press tour next month, just to get it out there and maintain the hype," their PR manager said, all business, but softer. She must be in a good mood, Singto thinks.

He felt Tay nudge his side, an eyebrow raised. When Singto turned to look at him, the man simply gestured to his other side, tipping his chin. Oh, he was referring to Krist.

Confused, he turned to Krist, only to see the man already looking at him, smiling. Seemingly lost in thought, but still looking at him.

When their eyes locked, Singto was startled to see Krist abruptly avert his gaze, his cheeks flaming, tightly clutching both of his hands.

Singto hummed silently. The chaos around him, discussing busy work.

But today, he realized, all of this was familiar.

It was like they were back five years ago. Merely considered rookies, even if they had more work than the new artists. When Singto was still discovering how much more he could fall in love with Krist.

And that was when he noticed Krist was also reciprocating his feelings. With the staring, the touches, the small gestures, the blushing. Krist was usually a very talkative person, but he somehow turns a little shy when he likes someone.

He doesn't want this familiar warmth of hope to fester, but he really can't control his feelings.

Oh, how he hoped. And he would try. He would work harder, to keep Krist looking at him. To tell him that he loves him every day. If Krist would allow him to be Krist's only.

If Krist would allow me to be his.

"And Krist, are you okay? You've been staring at Singto for the past five minutes."

"Oh! Sorry!"

Oh, if only Singto could physically melt. Krist gently slaps his own cheeks and focuses on his manager before him, nodding along with pursed lips and red ears.

Singto loved him so much, it was almost illegal. Unlike Krist, Singto almost has no shame in staring at him lovingly every time he gets the chance. He was actually thinking of going back to the coffee shop downstairs to buy him a new cookie.

He was down so bad, and he will pretend that he will not be screaming into his pillow and rolling around his bed when he gets home tonight.

Chapter Text

Working on PR is one of the least favorite things every artist has to do. While Krist loved to talk to people and actually put himself out there, he was still very cautious in everything he was doing. Artists always needed to be careful, especially during focused events like interviews and shows. He needed to be careful not to spill any sensitive information about the show, or himself in general.

As professionalism goes, Krist has to fight extra hard, because he wears his heart on his sleeve.

But… they currently have a romantic drama to promote, which means, that whatever hostility or hesitation he may still feel towards his co-star, he has to set aside that for now, as they happily talk to their interviewer.

“How is it like working together again after years of being apart?”

“Oh, it feels great. I feel like I’m home again,” Singto says, all sincerity in his eyes. Krist couldn’t help but smile. They were sitting side-by-side, shoulders pressed together. Singto was the one nearer the interviewer. He was all smiles and giggles. Krist felt a little guilty because he knew that Singto was aware of his small hesitations in being asked personal questions, especially about them.

The interviewer laughs, “It certainly is a nice view to see Krist smiling again because fans have noticed that he smiles less when you left abroad. Have you guys had any stories to tell about the filming of Destiny Calls?”

Krist mentally recalls all of the information that was allowed to be answered, “Yes. We’re currently finishing the last episodes filming, and the first episodes are in post-production. Everyone has been working really well to make this series something special.”

Singto nods, patting Krist’s knee casually, to which the other glances, “It’s been great. In the next few days, we’ll get to talk about it with the other main cast. I’ve been so thankful that PEBACA was able to be reunited in this project.”

There was a collective enthusiastic nod among everyone, all excited to see the banter between the three couples.

In the following days, they were subjected to several guest appearances on variety shows and news networks. Krist and Singo were the busiest ones, while the other casts tagged along for some interviews.

Because they were so busy, Krist was even able to forget or think less about his own self-reflecting. But Singto was always consistent. He never forgot to dote on Krist, to care for him, even in the smallest of gestures.

This wasn’t a new feat for him, as Singto was always there to take care of him even before leaving. Bringing him bottled water, buying him snacks, checking his temperature if he was too hot or too cold, giving him his jacket when the air conditioning was set high, or pausing in the middle of an interview to silently ask if he was okay.

At some point, it was truly a great help for Krist. Having been reminded of Singto’s way of loving him, of taking care of him. He received small gifts, like snacks, iced coffee, pastries, or even some cat treats for the cats at home.

And that all continued on even with their very busy schedule. Krist was grateful for him. Finally, there was a free day in their schedule where they could all go to the Monkey Cafe that their friends were raving about.

Krist dressed casually, but also brought a new set of clothes to change in, because they were warned about the smell and the potential mess they may experience.

“Is this actually okay? Isn’t there some regulation about having monkeys at a cafe?” New asked as they were all standing in front of the unassuming cafe, with the big standee of a cartoon monkey. The sign says “Welcome!” in big, bold pink letters.

Singto was still checking inside his bag, to see if he forgot anything, quietly noting that he should have brought an extra shirt. He’ll address that problem later. It wasn’t until the receptionist saw them and waved from behind the glass window, happily asking them to come in.

It was a little weird, having six tall adult men come inside a small, cute cafe.

“New, Gun has already thoroughly checked this place out. It’s near the conservatory, so the monkeys here are actually being well taken care of, and they’re nice. Well, that’s what the reviews say,” Tay hurriedly told New before they all entered the place.

There was good ventilation, with air conditioning but not too cold. Krist figured it was for the monkeys. Singto noticed that the others were already ordering the drinks while the staff informed them of the mechanics. They were given a maximum of one hour with the drink they would order. They can finish their drinks first before going inside to meet the monkeys.

Singto decided to not brink his camera and just use his phone instead to take pictures.

They’ve had… colorful experiences before with monkeys when they went to the floating market. Krist was actually a little terrified of monkeys, but the staff assured them that they were gentle.

Off laughed at what Gun said, after ordering their drinks, “No, we can’t hug the monkeys! Not unless they hug you first, I think.”

Gun rolls his eyes, pouting a little. Tay stepped in and put an arm around his shoulders, quietly nudging him in encouragement, “I think they’ll like you enough to at least shake hands.”

Then New stepped in and tapped them all on the shoulder, quietly gesturing to the last two people at the counter, trying to order something. They all noticed the hand that was hovering above Krist’s lower back while the younger ordered. The others snickered quietly, taking pictures. They had a gamble on who could post the most pictures at their wedding.

It wasn’t a question, it was a fact. At least, for the four of them.

The three couples come a very long way, having been established roughly around the same time. But Krist and Singto have been the first and the original. While they were all close, the original couple tended to be in their own little world, and that’s okay. They’ve enjoyed watching them fall in love from the sidelines, even discovering their own feelings along the way.

When they were done ordering, Singto turned around and saw the four of them scramble to tuck their phones in their pockets. Singto just shakes his head at them.

When they were all comfortably seated at the long table, each couple facing each other, and their drinks were served, they casually talked about what had been happening in their lives. Off and Tay were happily recalling their trip to a small amusement park where the rides had been a little too scary for their liking.

“I thought I was going to fall off. The swing was literally throwing me off, I had to hold on to the chain for my own survival!”

Tay just continued cackling, Off glared at him, “Not to mention my best friend here was just laughing the entire time, he didn’t even care about his own seat that was also hanging on for dear life.”

They were all laughing, Krist almost had tears in his eyes, while Singto was laughing too, but his eyes kept drifting to Krist, mentally noting that his smile was too beautiful for this world.

Eventually, the laughter died down, even after New had described the dog that had beef with him at the Grammy building. They were almost finished with their drinks, having a few sips left, when Gun just casually asked a question that the other three people were gawking at him when he mentioned it.

Taying with the amount of boba left in his cup, Gun asked, “So, how have your dates been with Singto, Krist?”

“Oh, he did not just say that!”

“We’re fucked. Doomed!”

“Off, did he not get the memo?”

Singto was left with his jaw dropped, staring at Gun, his eyes madly drifting back and forth between Krist and him.

Krist stopped sipping on his drink, and took a few moments to stare at Gun, mentally asking him why the hell would he bring that up.”

“We’re working on it.”

That was what he simply said. Gun shrugged and continued to finish his boba, the other three were still frozen. Off looked like he was going to faint.

Krist pursed his lips, taking a look at Singto who had an unreadable expression on his face. The older cleared his throat, and tried to mitigate the answer, “I’m still trying to ask him out, so don’t worry about us!”

Tay facepalms beside him.

Krist was left to focus on Singto, noting the way he had to mask his emotions for a bit. He frowned a little but chose not to dwell. He wished there was a way for them to sort out their mess as soon as possible so their friends wouldn’t have to endure this kind of awkwardness.

Soon, they were all done with their drinks, and thanks to the natural banter between all of them, the awkwardness was forgotten, and their one hour with the monkeys started. They hadn’t had a chance to get a glimpse of them before entering, so it was a shock to them when they saw the cute, small black and white colored primates.

They were surprised to not exactly enter a room, but rather, exit the unit. They were essentially outside the building now, with the natural air and perfect access to a small forest. It was too small, they would even call it a garden. There are clear thick plastic barricades that limited the six into having a view on three sides, enclosed by the three panels of plastic. And the tall trees, that they couldn’t even see the top of, as those were some of the monkeys were perched on.

The place is beautiful. Quiet and well taken care of. They could see small canopies connected in between the trees, and ropes above. The plastics were only reaching the chest level, so they could still touch if they wanted to.

There were two uniformed staff, they were experts from the conservatory nearby, and they were also the caretakers of the monkeys.

The staff began explaining, “The dusky deaf monkeys are commonly living in Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar. They are currently endangered, which is why it is illegal to have them as pets. Different animal conservatories from around the world take care of this species. They’re small and very gentle, and they’re known for their cute big eyes. They are friendly and generally do not engage with humans.”

“But the monkeys here are very used to humans, mainly because they were rescued from a certain place far away from here. Now, we take care of them, but established this cafe to help bring more awareness to the people and also show how they are meant to be treated with kindness.”

Gun smiled, watching as one of the primates went to a branch near the barricades and went near him, staring.

“You guys can take pictures, and have fun. No flash, and please be gentle and do not make any sudden noises. Refrain from touching them and be gentle if they initiate contact with you.”

All of them smiled and thanked them, naturally forming into their own groups, with staff nearby for each couple. New and Tay were one of the inquisitive pairs, asking questions about the monkeys while admiring them.

Gun seemingly had a soft spot for the monkeys, and the affection was returned as he was the first one to be touched by the monkeys. To which the others cooed at. Off was taking pictures every second of it.

Naturally, Krist and Singto were one of the most quiet ones. They were still tiptoeing that line between being super enthusiastic like they used to be, or staying quiet because they were not there yet.

But the monkeys were just too cute.

Krist was already gushing about them under his breath, careful to lower his voice. His child-like appearance came out as he was now pulling on Singto’s sleeve.

“Look, P’Sing! They’re so cute! Oh, she’s such a baby, I’m going to cry. Look, she’s coming closer to us! Take a picture! Take a picture now!”

Singto enjoyed every bit of it. He was definitely taking pictures, but he was a little afraid because there were more pictures of Krist than the monkeys. He almost wanted to melt on the spot when the baby primate came closer and reached out to touch Krist’s outstretched pointer finger, and Krist laughed, cutely. Adorably.

Singto took both videos and photos.

Soon, he was also gushing at the monkeys, as they enjoyed the gentle prodding and talking of the humans around the room.

Singto coos at the primate who was staring at him directly, Krist whispering in his ear, “Look, she’s looking at you! So adorable!”

He didn’t even notice that Krist was also taking lots of pictures of him.

After an hour of interacting with the cute monkeys, they had already called it a day and noted that the monkeys were going to be tired if they kept disturbing them. Nonetheless, they had one final picture with all of them and the monkeys behind them. It was one of the best pictures they took, and they all posted it on social media, creating a wildfire of reactions.

Once they thanked the staff and also got pictures with them, they all went out to go home.

Krist and Singto got in the same car as they carpooled on the way here, while the others also got in a separate car.

With a loud goodbye and hugs, they all drove out of the parking lot and back towards their homes.

Krist cannot stop the smile appearing on his face because he had so much fun today. And he was scrolling through the pictures he took quietly marking all of the photos he wanted to post. Singto was glancing at him while he was focused on the wheel. He smiled when he saw Krist smiling and looking through his gallery.

“Did you have fun?” the older asked.

“Of course I did! This is a much better experience than the one we had back a few years ago,” Krist’s voice suddenly turned low, remembering the somewhat traumatizing event. Singto chuckled, “I remember you just yelling too much, the monkeys weren’t even fazed as they took so much corn!”

“You were yelling too, P’Sing!” Krist countered, laughing a little, remembering the moment. They kept laughing, reminiscing on the funny moment that was a little too chaotic, and the total opposite of what happened today. It truly has been a while since they’ve done something this fun, this relaxing.

He was very grateful for their friends, who invited them and were very understanding of what their current situation is right now. He was still a little taken aback by Gun’s question, but it was true, he should be asking himself the difficult questions now.

It was weeks before the final filming day, and he knew that Singto wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but he didn’t want to keep the man waiting.

And so, as a comfortable silence befalls upon them, the quiet hum of the radio playing an old love song, and the sunset’s orange and pink rays illuminating their faces, Krist looks at Singto.

He asks himself, do I still feel the same hurt and anger now, after everything?

He doesn’t.

Singto hums to the song, drumming his fingers absentmindedly to the beat, smiling.

Krist asks himself, have I truly forgiven Singto?

Yes, he has.

The sunset continues to break, a blue hue mixing in with the orange.

He asks himself again, am I willing to risk it all again?

Krist takes one more look at him, at the person behind the wheel. At the person, he has loved, cherished, and given his heart to.

Krist remembers their story. Krist remembers Arthit. He remembers Kongpob. He remembers their stories.

Finally, Krist thinks to himself his answer.

I don’t have to risk it all, because this man beside me has proven to me that he will always choose to be beside me. It’s not a risk. It’s a step forward.

He’s ready.

Later that night, he messages a person he hasn’t talked to in years.

To: P’Lit

Hello, P’Lit! It’s been a long time. I know it’s been years, but can I ask if you remember the jewelry maker who designed the gear during the SOTUS filming?

Chapter Text

From: P'Sing
To: Krist
11:45 AM

Krist, are you busy right now? Want to get some lunch together?

From: Krist
To: P'Sing
11:47 AM

Uh, I'm busy at the moment. Maybe dinner?

From: P'Sing
To: Krist
11:48 AM

Okay! Let's go to the new place that Tay recommended.
Seen

Krist looked through the clear glass display case with dozens of silver and gold rings, all uniquely designed in varying sizes. He looked at the jeweler, P'You, who was smiling at him kindly. The shop he is currently in is old with the obvious wear and tear of the walls, and the browning tiles. But the glass cases of rings and jewelry right in the middle of the shop were still kept in perfect shape, it was like spotting a diamond in a cave.

He looked back at the unfamiliar jeweler, with familiar features. He remembered seeing the person who created the SOTUS gears, he was a middle-aged man who had just volunteered and applied when he saw the call for a customized gear for a project.

He was very kind and made the gears perfectly. Even during the second season with the merged gears, his work was still amazing. The gears weren't fancy or anything, they didn't have a shiny gold exterior nor were crusted by diamonds, but Krist remembered being so fond of them, especially when he wore the bracelet during filming.

"How can I help you, again?" P'You asked him. Krist looked at him, startled by the sound. He was too busy admiring the rings. P'You is not the jeweler from years ago. He's young, about Krist's age, and he smiles a lot. P'Lit told him that he was the apprentice and nephew of the jeweler who had retired a few years back. Now, P'You takes care of the shop and entertains the loyal customers who come to their shop.

"I want to ask for your help in making a gear charm," Krist says, looking around to see if there are any examples of a gear if they are on display. You looks at him, a little confused, "A gear charm?"

"Yes, uh, you see—"

"Oh! A gear!"

Krist pauses, shocked at You's widened gaze at him. The jeweler continued while rummaging underneath the glass case into the drawers, "Sorry, I know you wanted your privacy, but I recognize you. I've been a fan of your work, and when you guys filmed SOTUS years ago, my uncle made the gears. That's the first thing he taught me: making gears."

He added, "I've made a bunch of gear-related jewelry to practice on, but I never displayed them because the general public doesn't really think of "gears" when they think of rings or necklaces."

Krist chews on his lip as he waits for P'You to give him the collection. It's in a black box with a velvet interior. These are the gears he imagined, exactly as it was. It was a collection of several different kinds of jewelry in gear form. Necklace pendants, chains, rings, keychains, earrings, and the thing he needed: the bracelet charm.

The actor looked at the man in front of him who looked so excited, practically bouncing on his feet, waiting for his reply. Krist grinned, pointing at the one he needed, "This is what I need."

"Yes, thank you so much! I'll tell you more about it! ... Mhm... Yes, okay! Bye!"

Krist hung up on the call, grinning a little. His smile faltered when he saw Singto in front of him, walking towards him as they neared the entrance of the honey restaurant that Tay suggested. Singto asked him, "Who were you talking to?"

"Nothing important," Krist says. Singto looked at him weirdly but shrugged it off, pushing the door of the entrance.

It's a nice place, Krist can't help but think. The interiors are both vintage and modern. But it feels like a family restaurant, rather than a fancy dining area. The seats were lovely as well, with good condition tables. The food was amazing, Krist chewed on it happily, and the pasta was just perfect.

Singto just stared at him, in awe. He loved seeing Krist enjoy food. The man's cheeks fill up, and he gets this smile. He loves to see it, which is why he often takes him to eat. Krist also seems a little more relaxed now, like something has changed. He just can't pinpoint what it is.

"So, how was your day? What were you busy doing this afternoon?"

Krist swallows his food, looking elsewhere as he answers, "None of your business, P'Sing. How about yours?"

Singto tried to ignore the pang of hurt with the reply. He just wanted to know what he was busy with, but he figured he could put it under the rug for now, "I had some work to do behind the scenes. The staff from our series called me in to ask for some adjustments on the final script for the last filming."

"Oh, why did they only call you?"

"It was mostly about my scenes, they were trying to figure out if I could fit into the lines, or we had to adjust them. P'Aof told me that he'll ask for your opinion in a few days to check on it too," Singto poured some juice into his glass. Krist quietly asked for his own.

"Did you have lunch alone today, P'Sing?" Krist asks, and it's one of the softest tones he's ever heard since he came here. Singto tries to mask the shock and the affection on his face because it sends so many feelings into his heart that he feels like it's in overdrive.

"P'Nham and I just ate some spicy noodles," Singto says, willing the shake of his voice to come off. Krist didn't seem to notice as he hummed, "Hm, that's good to know."

"Why?" the older asks, he can't help it. This was unusual, for Krist to ask him, simple questions and it just felt so caring. So he tests the waters. Krist takes a breath, "Just wanted to know you weren't alone."

"I still feel lonely every time you're not with me," fuck it, Singto just went with it. Sue him, but this version of Krist is not helping his cool and collected facade right now, and words just tumble out. Krist's ears turn red as he coughs, taking a big gulp of his drink.

"Just... finish the food!"

Singto wordlessly agrees and continues to eat. Enjoying this new but familiar side of Krist. Things are finally looking up these days.

The busy streets of Bangkok are faintly heard from the clear glass windows. Singto was in a small office, highlighting a script read for his most recent advertisement work next week. He quietly reads the lines and practices them in his head. His manager, P'Jane looks over at him from a seat nearby.

One of them breaks the silence.

"Sing, are you still sure about this?"

Singto finished rereading that line before he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm asking if you're still sure about pursuing Krist. Do you really want to keep this going, because frankly, I'm both worried and pitying you."

The younger frowns, straightening in his seat and putting down his highlighter after putting the cap back on, "Why the sudden question? It's not like I'm doing anything different, because this is how I show him I love him, even before I dated him."

"Well, I just noticed that this has been going on for months and Krist still seems evasive of your actions. I'm not sure if he can really forgive—"

"With all due respect, P'Jane, I don't think your opinion about Krist matters here, because I'm the one who knows him the most. I'm also the one who hurt him, so I know how deep the wound gets. My love for him does not have a timer. If he ever forgives me or not, it's my own decision to still stay with him," Singto says. He lets out a breath and closes his eyes for a few seconds, thankful that his manager doesn't bother to reply now.

The last thing he wants to think is negative thoughts because he knows deep inside him that there is a very small chance of Krist just learning to move on and forget about him. But now is not the time. He places the stapled paper down on the desk and puts it inside a white folder.

He starts grabbing his bag, and turns briefly to P'Jane, "It's getting late. Krist says he's picking me up for dinner, so I have to go. Thanks for accompanying me."

Without another word, he gives a polite wai to P'Jane and leaves out the door.

When he arrives at the parking lot, he beams to see Krist in the car, already waiting for him while scrolling on his phone. Krist looks up at the right time and sees Singto approaching the car, offering him a smile.

Singto gets a little taken aback as he gets inside the car, Krist has been giving him a significant amount of smiles for the past week. It's both a little uncanny and adorably sweet, Singto just treasures every single one. Krist doesn't mention where they're going for dinner and just hums quietly as Singto talks about his day, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

Singto looked out the window to see the car being parked at a very familiar place. He smiled. It's been a while since they've been here, and he's craving noodles.

When they got out of the car, Singto noticed it was oddly empty. He looked at the sign and it says it's closed. But the lights are on and the door is open. He turned to Krist, "Uh, do you think there's something wrong?"

"No," Krist quickly answers him, "it's fine. Mae knows we're coming."

"Oh, okay?" Singto still has furrowed eyebrows as he's confused. Conveniently, they're sat at a table in the middle of the small restaurant. Singto looked around to spot Mae Manaow but was surprised when the woman came out of the door carrying two bowls of steaming hot noodles.

He turned to Krist because there was no way this was happening. The shop was closed, but it was open for them, and Mae just came in without even greeting them and taking their orders. She just came out with the food. Mae Manaow settled the noodles down on their table and they both thanked her, Krist more confident and thankful than Singto, who looked at her in confusion.

"Enjoy," she says, taking the time to send a small wink to Singto. The other man flinched a little, blinking at her retreating form with wide eyes.

Krist tapped his hand, "Eat."

"Okay," Singto agreed, enjoying the taste of the food but still utterly dumbfounded.

They ate in comfortable chatter, with them talking about their work and what they did the past week. What kinds of games they played on their phones, or how the shooting on set was as funny as the bloopers. Singto still had so many questions at the back of his mind, but he chose to set them aside for now because this was one of the best dinners he'd ever had.

When they both finished their bowls, Singto wiped a tissue on his mouth, casually checking the time on his phone. Krist looked nervous now, as compared to the calm and collected appearance he had prior to this moment.

"Krist, is there something wrong? You look pale," he says, even if Krist is already pale with his complexion. But the way he was almost sweating was throwing Singto off a bit.

"Huh? Oh, n-nothing! Let's go!" Krist says, standing up. The older man panics as he stands up as well, "W-wait! We haven't paid yet!"

"I already did. Don't worry about it," the younger replies, going to his car. Singto meekly follows, simply at a loss, because Krist didn't mention anything about this to him.

Now he watches as Krist drives silently. The car ride is smooth sailing, but both of them are tense. Singto was simply confused. He hopes this isn't something bad, or something that will cause Krist to finally sever ties with him personally. That would be the worst-case scenario.

But as he sees the place where Krist has stopped the car, his heart sinks.

It's a park.

It's not just any park, but it's the eco-park that they often go to on dates. There are only a few people who go there, seeing as this is close to their neighborhood and only the locals visit the park.

But it's also the place where they had the biggest and last fight that led to their breakup.

"So what? You take me on the best date only to tell me that you plan on ending our relationship?"

"Krist, I—"

"Fucking hell, P'Sing. Are you that much of an asshole? Why are you suddenly—"

"But I'm leaving, Krist."

"... you're leaving?"

 

He turned to Krist, who looked like he was able to have a mini panic attack with his heavy breathing. Singto's breath hitched at the scene and realized where they were.

The older was about to speak when Krist opened the door, saying, "Let's take a walk."

Singto follows him, walking towards the forest path, illuminated by lampposts. It was a familiar sight, they used to walk here hand in hand while talking about the most random things. It was quiet, mostly because there was no one around. It's already late in the evening.

Singto continued to follow the path that Krist took. His heart sank further and further into himself as they neared the spot.

There nestled amongst the trees, was a gazebo. It is a popular spot for dates, but usually, it was only them who used it. They were lucky in that aspect. But now, it wasn't just an empty patch of grass. There were tights hung around and over the tree branches, creating an intimate border around the area. Several daily lights were around, and a lamp was nestled in the middle of a picnic blanket.

There was also a basket next to it, with a bottle of wine protruding from one of its lids.

The older had his mouth wide open in a gasp, and it continued to be there as Krist turned to him. Both of their faces were illuminated by warm yellow lights from the lamps. And it was even more illuminated by the moonlight shining bright upon them.

Krist began speaking.

"P'Sing, I know you clearly remember this place. It's the place where we both fell in love and had our hearts broken. It's a place I have never been to, since the last time we met here.

"It's been a wild three years since then, and every single time I'm not with you, I feel incomplete. I let the anger consume me. I let the betrayal get the best of me. And I tried hard not to think about you, but you were always on my mind.

"There was one night. I remembered calling you, a thousand miles away. I remembered crying, drunkenly slurring the words, I miss being Arthit, and I think that was my mind telling me that it was my true feelings. Because I do. I miss being Arthit, I miss being in that time when everything was still simple. When I knew I was falling for you and you were there to catch me. When you kiss me on and off the screen."

Singto wanted to interject, but Krist continued, eyes a little glassy, hand in his pocket.

"The moment you told me you still loved me, I wanted to cry myself to sleep. I can't believe my heart was telling me two opposite things. I can't believe that my anger towards you allowed my heart to believe that your confession was the worst possible outcome," Krist quickly wiped a threatening tear, Singto almost reached out and wiped it himself.

"But you stayed. You stayed this time. You didn't leave my side, even if I treated you like shit. Even if I didn't reciprocate your actions. You stayed for me, you kept apologizing, and promising that you would be better."

Krist looks back at him again, and takes a glance towards the moon that provides them light, "The problem is, P'Sing, you were always the one for me. And if I'm being honest, I think I forgave you a long time ago. But a big part of me held on to that pain, so I couldn't move forward like you. I was scared to take another step."

Singto was already crying, his eyes wet with tears. Krist took his hand out of his pocket and showed him a silver chain.

It was short enough to be a bracelet. It's more of a charm bracelet, with three charms. One is a moon, another is a sun.

And the last one is a gear.

The chain had a bright silver glint from the moonlight, and Singto felt like the world had stopped. Krist held on, similar to a very important scene in their first series together.

"Since I know I'm cheesier than you, let me do this in a way we both know well. The gear is in your heart. The heart is in your gear. If you ask someone to take care of your gear, it means you ask that someone to take care of your heart. So, P'Sing, I'm giving you this gear. I gave you one, years ago. But this gear is different. It's stronger, but it's also taken a lot of hurt. But if you'll still have me, even after months of waiting, I'd like for you to take my gear again. Let's begin again, P'Sing."

Chapter Text

Singto wanted to think about all the possible things in his life that could happen. He liked to think that life wasn’t as exciting or as surprising as this, but he really knew that sometimes, life had other plans for him. Now, as he stands there, in front of the love of his life, as they are both crying, he looks at the bracelet that glimmers in the moonlight.

He usually doesn’t like to cry. He wants to be private for himself. It’s awkward, for both him and the person who sees it, and he feels uncomfortable to face that head-on. But Krist has been one of the few people with whom he feels the safest, one of the people he feels the most comfortable.

Hands over his mouth and the wet tear tracks on his cheeks, he meets Krist’s gaze, also filled with unshed tears. Singto then nods. He has never been more sure of his life.

“Yes. Of course, yes. God, yes!”

Krist laughs and they both cry, wrapped up in each other’s arms. Singto felt warmth filling his heart, from the tip of his head down to his toes. Finally, everything clicked again. And this time, he is never letting go of the person he loves again.

They both pull away but still hold each other. Krist sobs, and now he’s even more of a mess than Singto. His breath hitches as he choked out, “Oh, I’m so glad. So happy.”

“Me too,” Singto laughs, wiping his tears away. The walk towards the romantic picnic set up, and Singto couldn’t help but grin, “I should have been the romantic one.”

“Whatever, P’Sing.”

Singto’s heart soared at the familiar nickname. It’s not just a nickname to pay respect to a phi, but it’s become their own special term of endearment, and Singto knows that Krist does not just say that without any meaning. And hearing him say this in such a soft tone made him want to burst into tears again. Eventually, Krist showed him all of the food he had prepared, and it was mostly their favorite food to eat.

He even brought a small tumbler filled with cold pink milk, and he poured it into two small paper cups, handing one to Singto. The older grinned, “Nom yen?”

“It can’t be any cheesier than this,” Krist shrugs, “even if we’re so much older than our SOTUS years, and too much sugar in this drink could probably be bad, I think it’s a symbol of our journey.”

Normally, the drink to bring on a romantic picnic would be a bottle of wine, but Singto feels all the more loved by the cute pink tumbler that the sweet drink came with. They also shared nostalgic snacks and a simple pasta takeout to that one restaurant where they went on dates to eat carbonara.

They were all arranged neatly, and Singto felt Krist stiffen a little at the sudden cold breeze. On instinct, he took off his own jacket and slung it over his shoulders, “You must be cold.”

“I am,” Krist nods, “But you didn’t have to. It must be cold for you too.”

“This is what I do, remember? And I figured it must be my time to make so much effort after all you’ve done for me tonight.”

“I didn’t do this because I wanted to get reciprocation—”

“I love you.”

“... what?”

“I love you, so much. Yeah, it’s not about giving back, but because I love you, it feels like I’m about to have a heart attack at any second. And I feel too much right now. My hands are tingling, my nape is turning cold, my eyes are dilated, and it’s all because of you.”

Krist holds up a hand to stop him, turning his head to the side, ears vibrantly pink, “Please, stop talking.”

Singto grins, crawling over to his side, settling over his lower half and leaning, whispering, “Is it too much?”

Krist lets out a noise, verbalizing his reaction, almost leaning backward, his hand anchoring his posture. Singto takes time to put his hand under Krist’s chin to turn it towards him, their eyes meeting. Both were still red-rimmed from all the crying, but beautiful all the same. Singto looked at him one last time, almost as if to ask for permission. But Krist already beat him to it, murmuring to him, breath on his lips, “Please.”

He didn’t need another second more to bring him in, placing his lips and slotting over him. Passionate, yet reassuring. It wasn’t a goodbye, it wasn’t an apology. Finally, finally, they’re able to kiss just as lovers. Not as star-crossed, not with a heavy heart.

Krist’s heart raced as he felt Singto’s lips glide through his, licking into his mouth, his everything. The cold breeze was long forgotten as the heat started spreading from every point of contact. It wasn’t like there was no stopping them. Singto’s mouth continued to kiss him, everywhere on his face he could reach. Wet, tender kisses, like he was a dehydrated human given a taste of water. His hands were all over, until Krist grasped it in his own warm hand, a firm grip.

He was able to fight into his own coherency and awareness as he tried to pause Singto’s ministrations, placing a hand on his chest and gently pushing his back. The sight that greeted him was beautiful, and the man looked almost dazed as he continued to stare at Krist’s swollen lips.

“We’re in public.”

As if something snapped, but not quite, Singto turned to the picnic before them and immediately started to put all of them back in the basket. Krist asked him, “What are you doing?”

“We’re in public,” Singto echoes and leans in again to peck him on the lips, “We can fix that.”

As soon as the door slammed shut into Krist’s apartment, something in them snapped as the picnic basket was immediately dropped to the floor and their mouths were connected again. The soft murmurs and moans already had them both warm, the temperature rising and going down through their body. Krist wasn’t able to stop himself from gasping as Singto blew a whisper of “I love you” into his ear, breathless.

They wandered through his apartment, spinning around and being pushed into a wall in an alternative amount of time. Singto pushed him just by the wall of the living room, hands quickly discarding the jacket on Krist almost as if it was offensive. His nimble hands held Krist’s shirt buttons and frantically undid them, all the while kissing him relentlessly.

A tantalizing gaze was set as Singto glided his fingers through the soft skin of Krist’s exposed chest. He felt the younger shiver as he grazed one of the pebbled peaks on his chest with his rough thumbs. He continued to kiss him endlessly like he was going to vanish any second.

Krist sighed into his mouth as his eyes rolled back when Singto moved his ministrations to his neck, lightly nipping it, kissing his Adam’s apple, and combing one of his hands through his hair. Flipping him around, Krist was able to trap him into the wall this time, merely a few feet from his bedroom.

The younger savored the moans coming out from his lover’s mouth as he turned the tables on him, grinding his front with his, the friction heightening their desire.

It has been years since Krist has been intimate with someone. He is only ever truly intimate with Singto, as he bore all of his vulnerabilities with him. During the time when Singto was abroad, he was set up on blind dates by some of his friends but he never entertained it. He was polite to them but made sure that it wasn’t going anywhere.

And now, looking at him, looking at the man who never took his eyes away from Krist, panting and sweating, whimpering for his touch, Krist knew that he was never going to be intimate with anyone else. It was only him.

He made it known by kissing him again, licking into his mouth and biting his lower lip, giving it a little tug, Singto was going to wince but his body betrayed him by groaning and raising his hips to gain more friction from Krist’s touch.

“Krist—”

“Patience, tîi-rák*. Not here.”

Krist confidently grabbed Singto by his ass and carried him into the room, all while pushing away his polo from his arms, continuing to kiss him senselessly, until all articles of clothing were disposed of.

“Damn, sex on the first date? You animal.”

“If you don’t want me to throw this juice in your face and not pay for the dry cleaning, shut up.”

“I was just saying, thought you would have held back,” Mike laughed, gesturing to the hickeys that were on Krist’s neck, and it left a whole world to imagine what more was underneath his shirt. Singto really did a number on him, but he can’t help but smile inwardly, remembering everything that happened for the past two days.

Mike threw a napkin at him, and the other bristled, yelling, “Hey!”

“Focus! You’ve been in and out daydreaming since your boyfriend dropped you off!”

Boyfriend.

Something he thought he wouldn’t hear again, after swearing off anyone since that day. And his heart was blissfully light, already making peace with his choices and everything. Sitting on a stool by Mike’s balcony, wearing a comfortable white shirt that was definitely not Krist’s, he couldn’t feel more at ease. His phone buzzed on the table, and he turned to look at it, a smile crept onto his face as he read the message.

From: P’Sing (Your Boyfriend)
See you tonight. At my house. Por wants to see you. I love you.

He didn’t even remember changing his contact name, but Singto must have changed it last night when he was still asleep.

“God, and I thought I was the sap for my girlfriend,” Mike groaned, leaning back on his chair. Krist shook his head out of the clouds and rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his orange juice. He grimaced at the acidic taste, coughing into his fist.

“You’re the first person I told about this,” Krist quips, looking at the way Mike raised his eyebrow.

“Told? More like showed.”

“I will punch you in the face.”

Mike snorts, “You’re so whipped. Are you guys going public once and for all?”

“We… haven’t talked about it yet,” Krist replied, “But I am going to tell my family, they deserve to know.”

Mike laughs, “They’re one of your biggest supporters. Your dad really loved the both of you together, and even Mae truly sees Singto as her son.”

It really has been a long journey for them. Krist thought about the days when his Ma loved to tease him about Singto on how he was such a gentleman both on and off screens. She’s also known him from their university days. A mother knows her son best, and she knew then that they would be a great pair.

That is why it was a no-brainer that she was overjoyed when they came out to her and Por. She kept hugging them and telling them that she was so happy for both of them. Por was the same, he kept joking about the durian. Singto even bought him two big durians the next day, much to Krist’s embarrassment.

He couldn’t help but feel excited at the thought of doing that all over again, even if it was bittersweet with how things went. He knew his parents still had a soft spot for Singto, even after all the things that happened.

“We’re meeting his Por tonight,” Krist takes notice of Mike’s growing smirk and he’s starting to actually regret coming here. The devil reincarnate laughs maniacly, “Is this meeting the parents after only one date?”

“That’s it. I’m texting P’Boy to pick me up.”

“Hey, come on. I was just joking,” Mike did not find the hilarity in Krist’s eyes, “I’m really happy for the both of you. Even if I’ve seen how much you’ve endured when he left. And he worked hard to fight for you again.”

“... He’s been a dream. But I don’t want it to turn into a nightmare or wake up.”

There was a sharp pain on his arm and he flinched back, rubbing the area and yelling, “Oi!”

“It hurts, right? It’s not a dream, idiot. Singto loves you and won’t leave you again. Or else, he has the whole population of Thailand to answer to.”

Krist laughs, quite frankly remembering the chaos when the man left. It was a nightmare all over social media. Fans were crying, making edits, creating theories, and borderline harassing them both. Most of all, his friends, or the ones who know of their relationship, were also deeply affected. The open-ended threats to Singto were not unheard, especially the person sitting in front of him right now.

He knew that all of them cared for him, but equally, they shared the same care for Singto. He wasn’t perfect, but he is definitely a person worth fighting for.

“To be honest, I don’t think you guys can keep this a secret, at least for your closest coworkers. I mean, you’ve barely kept your hands off of each other when you guys first started years ago. And yes, it’s gross. I can actually see the teeth marks shining on your neck. Oh my god.”

Krist groans, hiding his face in his hand, ears pink. It was a miracle when his phone vibrated to see P’Boy calling him. He quickly stood up, finished his glass, and took his bag. Mike came with him to escort him to the door. He called for him as he was leaving, “Buy concealer!”

The other man left him and didn’t forget to flip him off while doing so.

Krist was wearing a black face mask as he was going down the elevator. He quickly checked his phone to type out an update to his manager when another message came. His eyes creased at the corners as he took in the contact name.

From: P’Sing (Your Boyfriend)
sent a photo.

Muffin knows something is up.

He grins, typing out a reply,

To: P’Sing (Your Boyfriend)
She knows you’re not single anymore.

From: P’Sing (Your Boyfriend)
Darling, I haven’t been single since I met you.

Krist, for all his composure, almost threw his phone at the closed metal elevator doors. It opened to the lobby to see P’Boy’s knowing gaze. With Krist’s expression, even with his half-concealed face, combined with the dark bruises on his neck, he knew everything was finally back where they are supposed to.

Chapter Text

Krist feels the sweat beading down on his neck. He’s not sure why he feels clammy going into Singto’s home when he’s already been here so many times.

The dim lighting from the gate was barely noticeable as he entered the bright living room, filled with trinkets of Singto’s family. Different certificated and trophies all over the display cabinets, several books on photography and communications, dozens of pictures of him and his dad.

It was endearing to see it again, and it had been a while since he actually dropped by, since Singto had come home. He tried pulling his hand away at the sight of Singto’s father, Boonrod, but his boyfriend had a tight grip on his hand, squeezing it.

He gently bowed in greeting, “Good evening, Por.”

“Krist!” The man came over to them and gave him a warm hug. Krist leaned into it and wrapped his free arm around him, the laugh in their throats reverberating through their chests. Singto was still smiling to the side and he gently bowed his head as his father greeted him, a hand placed on the top of his head.

“How was your day, Por?” Singto asked, sitting down beside Krist on the sofa as they all settled down. Krist placed the brightly colored paper bag on the coffee table. Boonrod noticed it, “Oh, you didn’t have to—”

“I got your favorite tea,” Krist said, cutting him off. Singto smiled at the thought and noticed the budding warmth as they all stayed into the night.

“Are you two finally dating again?” Boonrod was not one to dance around the bush, and Krist could feel the saliva getting lodged in his throat as he coughed trying to alleviate it.

Boonrod was one of the biggest witnesses of their journey, from the day that they met in college, to the day of the auditions, to the SOTUS filming, allt he way to today, where he witnessed them defy all odds. It was heartwarming for him, to see his son find love again and pursue the person he never wanted to let go.

And after spending time with Krist in the years that Singto was gone, he also developed a special bond with him, and knew that he was the right person for his son, after he cared so much to keep him company every few weeks, or even visit him at the hospital whenever he needs something or a checkup.

Singto was overwhelmed with the emotions that he was having, seeing the two people he loved the most in this world together almost brought him to tears. He had to hold back as he nodded at his father, “Yes. We are.”

“Wonderful,” His father commented, patting both of their shoulders and leaning in, “I knew you would eventually find each other again.”

Krist smiled, but quickly faltered when Boonrod added, “I mean, all those times you told me about missing my son—”

“Let’s not get carried away, Por,” the man nervously laughed and coughed into his fist, evading all of the curious gazes on him. Singto almost preened at the new information, “Hm, you guys have been talking about me, huh?”

“You can’t be too cheeky now, Singto. You’ve hurt him deeply,” his father scolded him. The smugness wore off, and he felt the familiar surge of guilt in his gut. Krist snorted, patting his hand that was clasped with his, “I have him a really hard time, you know?”

Boonrod laughed heartily, “He’s been moping around every time you guys get into a fight.”

Singto felt another squeeze on his fingers. The once burning anger behind Krist’s gaze is now gone, only replaced with warmth and distinct longing. His heart squeezed in his chest. Krist continued to look at him softly but they were distracted by the distinct cough from his father. Heat rushed to his cheeks, he stood up and walked towards the kitchen. His steps were halted when his father called out to him, “Where are you going?”

“Making tea,” Singto answered him, raising an eyebrow. He stepped back when Boonrod stood up, gripping the arm of the sofa, “No worries. I’ll drink it tomorrow. You two have a great evening, I’ll head to bed now.”

“Are you sure, Por?” Krist asked, standing up with him, assisting his posture. Boonrod chuckled again and waved a hand as he gestured, “It’s okay. I’m an old man, but thanks to both of you, I still have enough energy to stand up straight.”

“Okay, good night, Por.” Singto and Krist bid their good-nights to him as he watched him close the bedroom door. The faint noise of the crickets outside was humming in tune with the peaceful night. Suddenly everything around them felt so loud in the silent living room. Singto was already midway towards the kitchen entrance and Krist was standing awkwardly in the living room.

Singto quickly recovered and walked towards his boyfriend, pecking his cheek and placing a hand on it, “You’re spending the night here, right?”

“P’Sing!” A tiny voice escaped the younger’s throat, his expression quickly growing red, “What if your father hears us?”

The older one was slightly taken back at the reaction but quickly morphed into a mischievous grin leaning into his ear, “Who said anything about doing that?”

Krist groaned, pinching his arm, to which the other flinched, leaning away from him. Krist glared at the person in front of him, grumbling to himself, “Damn cute boyfriend who wants to eat me.”

“What?”

“SLEEP BY YOURSELF!”

“...And cut! Now, that is a wrap, everyone! Congratulations!”

Cheers erupted from the crew and the actors. Everyone was smiling, patting each other on the back, and clapping. Director Aof was grinning from ear to ear as he took pictures with the main cast, holding the clapper to his chest.

There were multiple shouts of “Good job!” and “Congrats” among everyone. After months of filming, they were finally done. And the show was set to air in a few days now, and they were able to wrap up at the last minute.

Krist and Singo were inseparable for the whole day, always somehow finding a way to stick to each other even if it was just their arms touching. There were genuine smiles on their faces, some would even argue a little tearful.

Krist was thanking the director, and P’Aof and Singto were beside him, also talking to the production staff. Aof grinned at him and waved a hand, “Both of you were amazing, considering it’s been years. Thank you for trusting me.”

Krist immediately shook his head and emphasized, “No, we should be thanking you for all of this.”

Aof grinned and took a small glance at Singto before leaning in, asking lowly, “I assume both of you sorted things out already?”

The other man chuckled, “Yes. Thankfully. But how did you know?”

“Khun, I am a director. I know my actors well. Congratulations to the both of you.”

Krist was a little taken aback when Aof left them to talk. Singto had already turned to him and asked, “What did P’Aof say?”

“Uh, he knows about us.”

“Hm, figures.”

“You’re not surprised?”

“No, I knew he would immediately notice. He’s too good at reading people. Anyways, the others are asking to celeb—”

“Our kings, KristSingto! You guys are coming to the party tonight, right?” Off’s loud voice interrupted them and Krist almost jumped from his position being startled. He could feel the warmth from Singto’s arm as it pressed onto his lower back.

“Yeah, we are,” Singto answered for the both of them. Krist was about to protest but the other raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him, ‘You seriously have other plans today?’

Gun appeared beside Off and shot them a knowing look before tugging Off’s arm to drag him to the food table, gushing about the macarons that Win gave them for the last shoot.

The couple that was left looked at each other, Krist asking, “What was that look for?”

Singto simply shrugged.

A few hours later, they found themselves in the middle of a long table lined with lots of fried foods and drinks, everybody raising their glasses and yelling, “Cheers!” before taking a long sip.

Once they were all settled, Krist was pulled into a conversation between Tay and New, who were talking about another upcoming series that they were preparing for. Krist internally smiled, happy that his friends were still this active even after so many years. They always remained consistent through the years and he looked up to them.

“Even New was so out of it last week when we had another filming day. He got lost so many times, wondering which floor of the building to go to after stubbornly insisting he could go back by himself,” Tay laughed at his partner’s flushed face. Krist laughed as well, eating a chip from the vast plates of nachos on the table.

Off was just in front of Krist when he screamed, “Oh shit! I forgot we had a meeting tomorrow. Fuck, I’ve already drank a lot,” he groaned and closed his eyes blearily. They knew he was at his limit when he started to close his eyes frequently, and his volume was also getting intense.

They had been talking about work for a while, as this was the only time they could rant about their work, and they had to be professional the day after again. But since this night was a celebration, everybody was letting loose.

Krist was also hyperaware of the hand intertwined with his underneath the table. He was carefully watching the people around them, even if he was loud as usual, he was calm. One wrong movement reminded him that his hand could be unclasped from Singto’s, and he wouldn’t let that happen.

Maybe it’s the beer talking.

Singto was also talking about his next work that he had upcoming, being booked for different concerts and events as a photographer. Krist knew that he had so many things coming up for him and he was so proud. He knew Singto would always thrive no matter what he was doing.

“Oh, I loved your shots! Gun had been debating with me about which photo I should replace for my profile picture next time. That’s amazing, you’re one of the people on call for events like these now,” New told him, and Krist nodded in agreement.

“He’s actually being scouted by other companies to also become a photographer,” Krist added, smile widening when Singto subtly squeezed his hand right by his lap. Tay grinned at Singto, almost ready to challenge him, “So do you still plan to visit abroad, even just for a little while?”

He and Singto hadn’t actually talked about that, and Krist’s shock was unmasked when Singto nodded, “Yes, I would still like to. But it still depends…” he trailed off. Krist kept looking at him like he was waiting for him to finish.

There was a brief tense silence in the bustling of the bar, but it was thankfully broken by the other staff tumbling by the table, bringing two more buckets of beer for everyone, yelling, “Another round from our P’Aof!”

Gun grimaced, looking at Off who was now slumped at the back of his seat, drool coming out of his mouth completely passed out. The others noticed it too. They would need to take care of that.

Eventually, Krist felt the slight hum of intoxication a few minutes later, after effectively downing multiple glasses of beer. He remembered he was overthinking about something, but couldn’t do it now.

His hand was still clasped with Singto’s underneath the table. But he was feeling sleepy, tired, and intoxicated right now. And his boyfriend was just beside him, so why not take advantage of the situation? He leaned his head onto his shoulder and hummed in pleasure when he felt Singto lean his own head onto his, their hands are now softly clasped together even more.

“You want to go home?” He could head singto whisper.

“Mm, in a while,” Krist replied, closing his eyes. They sat together in their own little bubble. The cast and crew around them were out partying and Krist felt that everything he needed was right there at that moment.

Even in the busy tables of the bar, he was at peace. Finally, finally, that peace was with Singto again.

The cats probably needed some form of cloth to cover their eyes.

Krist and Singto tumbled into the apartment, lips locked together in a frenzy, moans could be heard from every touch. Their hands roam around each other’s bodies, frantically taking all of the clothes in their way, it would only make this take longer.

Once they were in the bedroom, no time was wasted.

Krist wasn’t even able to keep up before Singto had pushed his fingers inside him, murmuring muffled groans and praises. Krist loved every word that came out of his mouth, his body was always worshipped when it came to Singto.

The younger had been deprived of kisses for too long before he was practically begging for Singto to kiss him, “P’Sing, your— ah,” he paused, after a particular spot was brushed, “Please, kiss me. Please.”

Singto, being generous, made sure that Krist’s request was granted, slotting his mouth with his, licking into his mouth. It was hot, messy, and so full of desire, that Krist was slowly going insane from the sensation. The bedside drawer was proving as efficient as always and Krist reached for it, even as he was still being wrecked by Singto’s fingers.

Krist, as impatient as he was, was even cursing as he fumbled with the wrapper, unable to tear it. Singto laughed, “So eager,” before taking it into his mouth and ripping it open, swiftly putting it to good use.

Once they had settled down, freshly showered and cleaned, they lay beside each other on the bed, both exhausted and satisfied. Singto was now the one leaning on Krist’s chest, humming into it as he cuddled by his side, placing a chaste kiss in the middle of the younger’s bare chest. Krist giggled, stroking a hand through the other’s hair.

Krist was humming a tune before Singto had spoken up, “Come with me to The States.”

“...What?”

Singto looked up at him, aligning his face to lean into him, kissing him briefly, “Let’s have a short vacation.”

“Again, what?” Krist blinked at him, genuinely dumbfounded. It didn’t help that they were still both naked underneath the sheets. He could feel the gears at the back of his head spinning as he overthinks, what the hell is Singto talking about?

“That’s one of the things I’ve always wanted to do with you.”

“P’Sing, you can’t expect me to absolutely love the place that has taken you away from me,” Krist said, frowning at him, to which Singto shook his head. He took Krist’s hands and held it in his own, squeezing briefly. The duvet flailing to his hips, he mustered up the most genuine expression he could give to Krist.

“I love you,” he began, “And every day I was in that country, I’ve always wanted to come back to you. Not just Thailand, but you. You are home to me.”

Krist could feel the warmth traveling through his body, and even though he still couldn’t process it, Singto was already continuing to speak, “And since we have this free time, I think it’s the perfect time to change those bad memories to good.”

“...How long have you been planning this?”

“Too long,” Singto evaded the question. That was a story for another day, he didn’t need to overwhelm Krist with all of his pining. But he wasn’t going to give up, “Please. You just have to say yes.”

Krist paused, feeling a little crazy that this was actually happening. But he knew, he knew he could never say no to this man. He could already feel the faint buzzing in his ears as the excitement of a new journey was being promised before him, and it was with Singto.

He couldn’t help but retort, cheekily poking his cheek, “That almost sounds like a proposal.”

Krist was briefly distracted by the longing kiss that was placed on his lips, “Not yet, tîi-rák. If it is, you’ll know.”

He smiled, still leaning into him, brushing their noses together, looking into the older’s eyes, he spoke, “Well then, yes, let’s go. Since you asked so nicely.”

Singto pulled him into his arms and gave him a hug, squeezing tightly and murmuring “Thank you” into his cheek, nuzzling it. Krist closed his eyes, his smile undeniably wide it was hurting his own cheeks.

He feels like he’s floating. There in this bubble, he feels like everything is falling into place now.

Krist felt most kisses being handed on his exposed skin. Shivering, he leaned back, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend. Singto challenged him back with a smirk, “Round six?”

“You’re joking,” Krist laughed, growing even louder as Singto pounced on him, raining him with kisses.

The future is bright ahead for both of them.

Chapter Text

"Quick! Take a picture of me!" Krist laughs, wrapping his thickly covered arms around the freezing lamppost covered in ice. Singto takes out his cellphone, having difficulty capturing the picture because of his gloves. Krist's nose and cheeks were pink, flushed by the cold. The snow was falling around them, and in the dim lights, contrasted to the bustling streets of the main city proper, the couple found a beautiful spot for taking pictures.

"Wait!"

"Faster, P'Sing. I'm freezing here!" Krist's smile was still wide, albeit the tightness in his skin from the negative degrees. He was still looking so adorable with that thick coat and the earmuffs covering his ears. Singto took a ton of pictures, mentally noting which ones were going to be set as his wallpaper tonight.

"It's okay now, let's go!" Singto tried to pocket his phone. They still had a long way to go to get back to their hotel. And their legs were killing them.

Krist whines, walking towards him and grabbing his waist. Singto let out a breath, the cold making it visible, "What are you doing?"

"Let's take a picture together!" Krist says, taking Singto's phone and opening up the camera. Singto was protesting, "But we already took so many photos!"

"Not enough," the other replies, taking the phone and positioning it to fit their faces together, a little too close to the camera. Singto gave up and started to smile. It wasn't until Krist paused and kissed his cheek, even in the freezing night, even from the chapped lips, that it still made Singto warm from the inside out.

It was a beautiful picture. Singto was holding the camera in his hands now, and Krist's arms were wrapped around him from behind. A few moments later, Singto realized that they had to go home, as it was getting too late and they had an early schedule the next day.

"Let's go back," He says, taking his boyfriend's hand and rushing to the nearest subway station. Krist happily tagged along with him and went even closer, squeezing his hand through the gloves. Their smiles were unwavering despite the screams of their feet as they hit the pavement.

At the hotel, they both soaked in a hot foot bath, getting great relief for their feet as they prepared to cool down and sleep for the next day. Practically inseparable, even as they were only just sitting on the edge of the bed, Krist still had his arm wrapped around Singto's, sighing in relief. Singto grins at him, feeling his heart burst at the cuteness of his boyfriend. He leans in and kisses him, capturing the sweetness of Krist's lips. Krist hums, nipping at Singto's lower lip, kissing him back.

"We can't have sex tonight," Krist murmurs, even if his body betrays him. Singto laughs, leaning away from him, "Who said we would?"

"P'Sing!" Krist groans, his cheeks flushing again. The older just laughed, interlacing his fingers with the other, leaning his head on Krist's shoulder. He quietly flicked his feet underneath the hot water inside the pail, sighing, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The following morning, they woke up early, even with groans and aching backs. They were not getting any younger anytime soon, they both realized. The couple took off, and even during the bright sunlight underneath the sun, they still bundled up in jackets and coats.

Singto's hand was always in Krist's during the trip. And now, standing here at the entrance of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There wasn't as much snow as the place they were yesterday, but the grass was covered in a thin layer of snow. The gates were covered in a thin layer of ice, and Krist was mildly intimidated by the large buildings that towered over them. The one he attended in Thailand didn't have this kind of architecture.

Singto guided him inside the campus, looking around for anyone familiar. The first place he took him was the dormitories. They stood over the high dormitory building, with little to no students coming in or out. It must be a winter break.

The other was showing him the entrance, "This is where I stayed. The rooms are actually quite big and better than what we had back home. I used to go through this entrance, but you wouldn't see me wearing shorts outside."

"Why?"

"It's too embarrassing," Singto frowned. Krist huffs, "Are the people here that judgmental? Even during the summer?"

"Well..."

"See? And it's a male dormitory, so there shouldn't be any harm," Krist seemed to be determined to wear shorts in any dormitory, maybe because he was used to the hot temperatures that wearing pants in the dorms is actually not normal. He found himself wanting to ask more questions when Singto apparently saw someone he knew.

The context-switching of Singto is amazing, Krist noted it. How he found himself getting a little warm at the sound of Singto's voice speaking English is something that he needs to address back at the hotel. But the sight of Singto getting hugged by a pretty tall white man is enough to erase any coherent thoughts in Krist's mind.

"Oh my god! I didn't know you were here, Singto!"

"Nate! So nice to see you. I thought you guys were on break?"

"Oh, yeah. I didn't go home for this break, my girlfriend's visiting," Nate, the tall white man dressed in a black puffer coat, grins at him. Almost angled his head 45 degrees downwards as he talked to Singto. Krist was quietly waiting a few feet behind them.

His eyes widened as he realized that Singto had already taken his hand and tugged him to his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "This is my boyfriend, Krist!"

Nate's eyes flashed as he blinked at the couple. Krist's smile was a little uneasy, unsure of how to handle the situation. And his English wasn't that great either. Out of his element, he squeezed Singto's hand, hoping he would understand. The American man was still looking between them, switching his gaze as he took in the person that Singto introduced.

"Is this—?"

"Mhm. Yep!" Singto's tone was clipped, and Krist sensed a bit of panic from his boyfriend. He tilted his head, analyzing him. But Krist wasn't about to be rude, so he mustered up the courage to greet him properly. He reached out his free hand to shake, smiling, "Hello! Mice to meet you. I am Krist."

"Yeah," Nate enthusiastically shook his hand with both of his hands, nodding excitedly. Singto was slowly panicking on the side, "I know you! You're the one who's always on Singto's wall and picture frames!"

"What?" Krist almost asked in Thai, blinking back at the man who was still nodding like he was too thrilled to be meeting him, "Singto kept talking about you! Said that you're the most important person in his life and for him to finally be your boyfriend—"

"Alright, alright. That's enough, Nate."

Krist was thankful that he learned enough English for this moment, "No, no. Please tell me more, Nate." He didn't even care if he butchered his name.

Nate paid no mind to the deathly glares that Singto was throwing his way, and Krist couldn't see his expression from his position. Nate finally let go of Krist's hand, but he continued, "He was so hung up on the first few months at the dorms. Wouldn't eat properly, always cried, and didn't even go out to eat dinner with the other students."

"Oh," Krist says.

"Oh! Oh, it's okay, I mean, he kind of got happy again when he showed me that one tweet of your new projects," Nate tried to remedy the situation when he saw Krist visibly uncomfortable. Singto pursed his lips and sent Nate a small smile, "Yeah, yeah. It's him. Well... uh, do you know any open buildings around the campus today?"

"Yeah, the film hall is actually open this week, something about a film screening for the undergrads. You should take a look!"

"Okay, thanks, Nate. See you around!"

"No problem! Nice to meet you, Krist!"

"You too!" Krist waved at him, a smaller grin graced his lips, but as he remembered what Nate said, it slowly faded into a flat line. Singto noticed it and paused in the middle of the road. No one was around, and it was only the two of them.

"What's wrong?"

"I just... I didn't know you had also suffered that much," Krist said, taking Singto's hands into his hold. The other man gave a lopsided smile, cooing at him. All of the pain he felt in those months only withered into a bitter memory as the love of his life is now standing in front of him, replacing all of the bad memories with good, "You're here now, Krist. That's all that matters. I loved you so much that I suffered, yes. But I was happy to see you still thriving, even when I'm not there."

Krist gave another smile back, leaning forward and kissing a small kiss at the corner of Singto's lips, "Okay. Let's go. Take me to your building, P'Sing."

When Singto showed him around the building, thankfully, it was mostly open. There were some guests who were loitering around the theaters, but Singto still memorized the place like the back of his hand and took Krist around. He would tell him different stories of how he was studying at some of these hidden study areas or how they would make a film on the spot in one of the bigger filming setups.

Krist reassured each memory as if it were his own. He wanted to store all of these memories with him and remember that the man he loves had lived those memories, even without him.

Eventually, they left the hall. Not without eating a small snack from the beaten-up vending machine that Singto kept telling Krist about.

Soon, they toured around the campus, nothing much to see and a little underwhelming considering the winter season, but Krist could definitely tell that it was a beautiful campus. He was still proud of him for choosing this career path. And seeing Singto telling all of his stories with stars in his eyes had given him no doubt that his time here was special, too.

"Why are you so cute?" Singto pinched his boyfriend's cheeks as he finished taking a picture of him eating a buffalo chicken wing inside a warm restaurant. The faint sound of a sports game being played on the TV could be heard.

They were just a couple having a tasty dinner, and Singto couldn't keep from cooing at Krist, who looked so adorable, almost as if he was tasting a buffalo wing for the first time.

"You're the one who's cute!" Krist retorts, wiping his mouth and pinching the other's cheek, "Look at these!"

"Hey!" Singto protested, backing away a little, "stop pointing out my cheeks."

"I can't do that when they're the cutest things on earth," the other kept on reaching for him. Singto laughs, ultimately, his cheeks puffing up as the corners of his mouth are upturned. It was moments like these that he treasured the most. When he feels how much Krist loves him and cares for him.

He briefly stares at the empty, ungloved hand on the table, placing a new centimeter away from the fork and knife. The soft, pale skin of Krist's hands glimmered under the dim yellow lighting of the restaurant. But he feels like there's something missing from that hand.

"Anyway, we're going to Disneyland tomorrow, right?" Krist asked, taking another bite from the wing as Singto's cheeks recovered from the pinching. The other nodded, his tone morphing into excitement as he answered, "Yeah. We are."

"I can't even think about how much we spent on this trip already," Krist groaned, and Singto also didn't want to think about it. But he reassured himself, they planned for this trip and set aside a budget for it, so it was going great, aside from all of the souvenirs they were going to buy and take home.

"Don't worry about it, love. It's our last itinerary for the trip anyway," the older reassured him, and Krist just nodded. The itinerary for tomorrow was already planned in Singto's head, but he was momentarily distracted by the chicken wing being brought to his lips.

Krist grins at him, "Take a bite. You're thinking too much again."

"Fine," Singto answers, taking a bite of the salty chicken wing. Krist beams at him, and Singto could feel all his worries shatter in the blink of an eye.

"Yeah, no. I'm not getting on that thing."

"But P'Sing! It looks like so much fun!"

They were standing in front of a daunting-looking ride with what looked like an ice cave. There was like a 30-minute wait time, which actually looks promising than the other 240-minute waiting time rides. But it was still daunting enough for Singto to hesitate. Krist just looked elated.

But of course, he could never say no. Not when Krist had that smile.

Which is why 45 minutes later, they were back at a churros stall, eating the sixth churro of the day, courtesy of Krist's wallet. An apology for Singto's nausea.

"It was definitely fun, P'Sing. I heard you screaming."

Singto gave him a deadpanned look, "Yeah, out of horror!"

"It's why I'm getting us another round of churros," Krist tried to remedy the situation by kissing his boyfriend's cheek. The other people around them were whispering, but they couldn't care less.

And this is why the day after the Disneyland trip, they were now at a Costco, shopping for the snacks to take home. Both of them were still tired from the amusement park, but they had to hurry because they were going back home in two days.

Singto was pushing the cart while he and Krist talked about which ones to buy, mostly arguing about customs.

"We don't need another bag of chocolates, Krist. We've already bought enough of those," Singto scolded him, taking the bag and putting it back on the rack. The other pouts and huffs while he was the one who pushed the cart this time. Singto was now parroting over the medicine section, murmuring about how P'Nham had asked him to buy those gummy vitamins in bulk.

"Do we even know what brand it should be?" Krist asks, still pouting over not getting extra chocolates. Singto was focused on reading the labels, "Wait, I'll ask her, hold on."

"Hey," the other begins while Singto was texting P'Nham.

"Hm?"

"Are we going to be like this when we live together?"

Singto stopped typing. He looked at Krist, who was smiling softly, staring at the half-filled shopping cart in front of them, leaning on the barrier. Singto could feel his face flush as he internalized what Krist said, his heart starting to beat a mile a minute.

The sheer fact that Krist was asking this casually really meant something. It's not an "if" question but a "when". Krist is thinking about their future, and it is with Singto. He didn't know if he was worthy enough for Krist's future, but he was honored that they were already talking about this, because truly, this is also what he had always wanted.

Singto walked up to Krist and interlaced his hands with his, kissing the back of his hand as he did. He leaned into him and smiled, "Yeah, I think we will. We'll argue in the middle of Big-C's too, just like this."

"I like the sound of that," Krist replies, grinning at him, "And we'll still end up fighting over the budget."

"I have better budgeting skills than you, darling."

Krist huffs, "Let's see."

Eventually, they end up debating over the smallest of things to push in the cart, even if the total adds up to around 800 USD, which is even going to overload the luggage limit at the airport. In the end, they were both at a loss for the budget.

A few months after they got back from the States, Krist decided to bring up a topic on a random lazy afternoon. They were lounging on Krist's sofa, just them alone in the apartment while the cats slept. A movie was playing on the TV screen on low volume, and Krist hummed at the warmth of Singto's body.

"Move in with me."

"What?"

Singto almost choked on his own spit when Krist blurted it out. It was unusual, but it had also been on his mind for a while. Ever since they got back together, they slept together almost every night, alternating between houses. And now, Singto couldn't even sleep peacefully without his boyfriend, and Krist felt the same. But actually bringing up this discussion is not something to take lightly.

"I mean, you practically live here. I have no roommates left, and if you wanted a fresh start, we could easily go apartment hunting," Krist says, sitting up so he could talk to Singto face to face, taking his hands in his own, grasping them and enveloping them in his warmth, even with the air-conditioned apartment.

"But are you really sure, Kit? That's... a big decision."

"P'Sing, we have been with each other for more than ten years now, and I think we're more than ready to take this step. And I can't imagine a life without you in my arms every day," The younger, almost softly, tells him. Dressed in their lazy house clothes, alone in the same house, surrounded by domesticated felines, Singto could retell this story a million times and would never get tired of it.

"I..." Singto paused, "Well, I'd be glad to. You always beat me to these things, love."

"Yeah?" Krist's smile widens, his eyes turning into crescents as his smile reaches his eyes, "Yes!"

Like they were in a movie, they celebrated with a kiss as the cats were startled at their excited yells.

They went house hunting the week after. It was a long journey, trying to find the perfect place. They really didn't want to be away from their families, but in their minds, they wanted to build a family. Whether it may be a family of felines or screaming children, there had been an understanding between them that it must be big enough for that possibility.

Soon enough, they were signing a lease and buying a house neatly situated within their neighborhood, a 15-minute drive away from their families. They made a mental note to have a few renovations if the time comes, but it was perfect for them. Moving in was smoothly done, they bought new furniture, and even took some from their houses, making it feel a little more homey than just a freshly bought house. The cats also fit in well, with their individual cat beds and play pens.

Everything felt a little bit rushed, but for them, it was about damn time. They had been together long enough, already past 30, and living a life that was too domestic, everyone's also pushing them to make this move. So it was just at the right time, at the right place.

But Krist felt like there was still something missing. And he planned to fix that very soon. Every day, it's in his bag, just waiting for the right moment.

So it was weird for Singto to suddenly take him to an escape room for their weekly Friday night date. Krist tried not to think about how unusual it was because he, too, had planned weird adventurous dates for them, but this was the first time Singto really went out of his way to try something new.

He wasn't complaining because he had always wanted to try an escape room.

Singto had been looking like a snack the whole time, but it didn't mean Krist didn't try to be as well. He had dressed up for this, knowing that every date is special and the escape room was bound to be cold inside. He noticed the charm bracelet glimmering under the dim lights.

The room was structured kind of like an abandoned storage facility, with empty stained floors, and a row of rooms, each with different furniture but the same theme.

"P'Sing, can you repeat the task?"

"Well, we're supposed to look for hidden letters scattered around the area, and determine the message using the clues," Singto kept looking around the same as Krist. "We have around 2 hours."

"Two hours? We'll never get it in time!"

"Relax, I think we'll be able to find them soon enough," Singto dismissed him. Krist tilted his head in confusion. How was his boyfriend able to be calm at this moment? He knew Singto would panic at the thought of not finishing a task on time. Krist protested, rummaging through a box, "We'll never—oh!"

"What?"

"I already found two letters! It's an 'A' and an 'L'!"

"That's great, I found two as well, hidden in the wall cracks," Singto said, and Krist could tell it was almost a sigh of relief when Singto spoke. He had a little more hope for the next one if they had already found four letters in the main room. Together, they went through the different smaller rooms, some were weirdly decorated like a prison, some looked like bedrooms, and others looked like offices. They found the letters in places you would normally look for: in drawers, under the sink, inside boxes, or wedged in between railings.

Krist noted the area had peculiar items, though. Like the occasional gear print on the walls, or the paintings of bridges that kind of looked like the Rama VIII one. There was even an unopened bottle of pink milk on the counter in one of the rooms, but Singto told him not to touch it, murmuring about it being expired or something.

That was enough for him to stop prodding, but seeing a picture of a sphynx cat is actually quite off-putting, he had to turn to Singto, "Do you think they knew we were going to be here? Why do they have a picture of a sphynx cat that looks a lot like Pluto?"

"Kit, all sphynx cats look the same boiled chicken—"

"Hey! I thought you loved Pluto."

"I do, I do!" Singto defended himself, "But maybe it's just a coincidence."

"Hm," Krist didn't want to drop the topic, but Singto had to be so adorable and pulled out another letter from inside one of the vases, "Look! An 'I'!"

"Good job, P'Sing! We only need two more letters!" The picture of the cat seemed to be staring at him as they left the room, eerily so. Krist tried not to let it get to him. But the next room for them was even more off-putting.

There stood a basket of durians, and various sizes of durians were scattered around the room; it reeked of the smell. Not like he was complaining, durian is delicious, but this was too much for an escape room. Krist turned to his boyfriend, "I really feel like this is tailored for us."

"Hm? How so?" He felt like Singto was playing dumb at this point because there was no way he wasn't connecting the dots. He groaned in protest as Singto absentmindedly looked around the room, pointedly ignoring the overwhelming amount of durian littered around.

Krist's eyes drifted to the peeking out white corner wedged in between two durians, and finally, he was able to pick up the second-to-last letter, "I got an 'L'."

"That's amazing! We only need one more!" Singto beamed at him, grabbing his hand and taking them back to the main area. Krist was confused about why they ended up here, "Why are we back here?"

"I think we missed something, because look! The final letter is right here, on top of the table," Singto said, picking it up. Sure enough, the 14th letter was neatly placed on the table, which was definitely not there when they started. Krist scratched the back of his head. "How did that end up here?"

"I don't know, maybe we were too smart and it was part of the bit to always end up right where we started," his boyfriend nonchalantly said. Krist raised an eyebrow at him, still not believing a thing, while Singto continued to shuffle the cards and try to make them all face the same way.

After a few moments, he handed the stack of cards to Krist. The younger looked even more surprised, "Why are you giving it to me? We literally have 5 minutes left!"

"I think you should try it," Singto insisted. Krist was still looking at him weirdly before looking back at the luminous timer. The room was dim, only a few lights scattered around, but he would work fine, especially with white cards with black printed bold letters.

He looked at the letters and scattered them, trying to make a line. It was confusing, to say the least. He felt disoriented as he tried to form words inside his head, his limited English betraying him at the most crucial moment. He didn't even know what the clues to this message were.

"They said it was four words, if that helps," Singto says from behind him. Something kind of ticked inside Krist as he turned to him, a little irritated, "Why don't you help me?"

"I—" he seemed to hesitate before sighing as he looked at the clock, crouching beside him and rearranging the letters. Krist hums in satisfaction as they both try to fit the letters into words as best as they can. But both were lost.

M O R A L

L O Y A L

M E M O R Y

These were the words Krist could try and guess, but there were still too many letters that became useless. Singto had his brows furrowed, trying to fix the letters, and the younger was groaning, panicking as the timer did a countdown.

10

"I don't think we're going to make it, P'Sing."

9

"Don't give up, Krist."

8

Krist tried to fit in letters that weren't even English. It just sounded like a Thai word. He curses under his breath.

7

Singto was sitting beside him, still rearranging the letters.

6

"We're running out of time."

5

Singto paused, before speaking, "Wait! I have an idea!"

4

Krist watched him shakily rearrange the cards. No, he couldn't handle this.

3

The younger stood up, stressed. He was panicking under his breath, "2000 baht for an unsolved case!"

2

"Krist, look!"

1

In a panic, Krist immediately looked over to the arranged letters. Singto was now standing up, pointing at it.

He furrowed his brows as he tried to verbalize the text, "Will... you... ma..rry... me?"

Time's up!

Singto then knelt in front of him on in left knee, pulling out a red velvet box, with a simple ring, the edges of a gear engraved on it. Krist was still processing what he had just realized was happening, and before he realized it, he was already sobbing.

"Krist, my love. My soulmate. I once let you go, and that was the worst decision of my life. And I will never do that again. Not in this life, not in the next one. You've already beaten me to so many things in life, but asking you this one question, I wish I could be the first. Because I was the first one who saw you, who fell in love with you, and also be the first one to ask you to be with me for a lifetime. Krist Perawat, I love you so much. Will you marry me?"

Krist, bless his heart, it was palpitating in his chest. He was full-on sobbing now, biting his bottom lip as he nodded, nodding repeatedly, saying in a breathy voice, "Yes."

"Yeah?" Singto asked, his eyes watering too.

"Yeah, I'll marry you, even if you beat me to it!" Krist and Singto laugh as the younger pulls him to stand and kiss him. The sound of applause could be heard in the background as Krist was startled. Around them stood their closest friends and family, cheering for the newly engaged couple. A little mortified that Krist was still incredibly red in the face for crying, Singto had slung the ring on his ring finger, having the perfect fit. Both of them cried and went for another kiss, a symbol of a beautiful future ahead.

Sometime in the future.

There was a large picture frame hanging on the wall. Two grooms dressed in white, beaming smiles on their faces, as their noses touched. A perfectly captured memory.

The shelves were littered with big and small trophies and awards, small picture frames beside them, with two men smiling widely in each one. Polaroids are pinned on various boards, some with sunflowers, some with pink milk, fireworks, and some with tiny hands.

Some walls were smeared with colorful crayon lines, messy and utterly sweet. A wooden door had small lines etched on it, with words written as follows: 2 years old, 3 years old, 4 years old, F I V E!

Singto, former artist and current producer, had just finished dressing up their daughter for school. He carefully dusted off any invisible dirt on her pink dress, the little girl giggling as he did, "Papa! Do I look pretty?"

"Yes, you do, darling. The prettiest one!" He nudged her cheeks and kissed them, enjoying the cute laugh that she elicited from her. There was a ping from Singto's phone that was placed on the counter.

"Now, baby, why don't you get your things from upstairs so we can get going, yeah?"

"Okay, Papa! Daddy's coming home today, right?"

"Mhm, he is! Now, hurry up so you can see him sooner!" Their daughter merrily screamed as she dashed carefully upstairs to retrieve her stuff.

Singto looked at his phone and saw a message. His wedding ring glimmered in the morning sun as he unlocked his phone. It was a voicemail from his husband.

He smiled and started to play it.

"Good morning, love! I miss you and our little princess so much it hurts. It's such a pain to be away from you guys to attend this event, but I'm so excited to bring you guys the souvenirs! See you later, my husband! I love you, P'Sing!"

The voicemail ends, and Singto clutches his phone to his chest, his smile unwilling to be stopped, and his heart full of adoration for his husband. He heard the small footsteps descending down the stairs, and he beamed at their daughter.

"Papa! I'm ready!"

"Okay, baby. Let's go!" Singto took her hand in his as they walked to the front door. The little girl bounced on her steps and looked up at her father, "Papa, I think I heard Daddy's voice while I was coming down the stairs. Is that him?"

"Yes! He's so excited to come home!"

"Yay!"

They wandered into the car as Singto strapped her well into her seat, making sure to remind her that using a seatbelt is important. She beamed at him, rambling about how excited she was for school today. Her father grinned at her, giving her another kiss on the cheek before proceeding to drive to school.

Singto thinks about the time when life used to be so glum, a life without Krist. A life without his soulmate, as he was miles away and wishing he could go back into his arms. But living a life with him now, with their cats, and their daughter, still finding a way to feel even deeper in love with Krist every day, he wouldn't change anything.

"We're here!"

"Thanks, Papa! See you later!" She leaned in to kiss his cheek, and Singto pitched hers, cooing at it. She laughs and runs towards the entrance, joining her friends. Singto called out to her as she was leaving, "Have fun today, Luna!"

"I will!" She waves back at him, beaming.

Singto sighed contentedly and drove out of the parking lot, making his way over to the theatre. He also had a premiere to attend, but thankfully, it was set in the daytime, and there was enough time to pick up Luna later in the day.

Upon entering the venue, he was surprised by his husband, who was waiting for him, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Singto smiles at his soulmate and walks up to him, giving him a soft kiss, "You're here."

"I am," Krist kissed him back before handing the bouquet of roses and sunflowers to him, placing a kiss at the side of his head, murmuring a sweet, "I love you."

"How was our daughter?"

"She's great. Excited to see you again," Singto tells him, marvelling at the beautiful bouquet. He makes a mental note to prepare one for his husband next time. With his free hand, he interlaced it with Krist's, beaming as they entered the venue proper. The reporters were flashing all of their cameras at them as they walked to the red carpet.

Briefly, they went for some poses. Even as they settled down in their careers, they were still one of the well-known industry couples that lasted and got married. Naturally, they would still have this kind of effect, as even their daughter is boasting about it.

As they settled in their seats, Krist leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Can you enlighten me again, what is the plot of this show?"

"It's about a reporter who got into an issue and needs his ex, a producer, to fix his reputation," Singto whispers back. Krist nods and gives an amused smile, "Hm, interesting."

"They did do it well," Singto said, complimenting the team. Krist was still looking at him, knowing there was a follow-up.

"We did it better, though," the older said, and Krist laughs under his breath. Their fingers interlaced, Krist squeezed lightly. And as the show started to premiere, Singto could only think of their journey together. Everything ever since he and Krist met.

Sitting inside this theater with his husband, and a daughter lovingly waiting for them at school, cats already halfway asleep after scratching all of the surfaces in their house, he couldn't help but think: life couldn't get any better.

The end.