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Pharm was sipping on his third or fourth drink, but that was not even close to clouding his judgment. He was pretty resistant to alcohol and he still had hopes to find good entertainment until the end of the night.
Pharm came back to Bangkok attending Team's invitation to be his best man. They were friends since toddlers and even though Pharm was now living in London and working as the main chef of a well-known restaurant, they were still in touch and updated the other about their lives. Which was pretty easy on Pharm's side. Always too busy with work, the 30 years old male was about to become a bachelor convicted to keep that status for life. Pretty different from Team, who was now about to marry his boyfriend from college years, Win. Pharm didn't know much about Win, but he was rich, hot and loved Team more than anything else in the world, which was basically all he needed to know to confirm his best friend was in good hands. However, watching the lovely couple talking when they met earlier, made Pharm realize how lonely he had been feeling in the last few years. This is the reason why he was now at a bar and ready to hunt.
"Do you think you're a big prize or something? You jackass!", a lady yelled across the bar while throwing her drink at a man who barely flinched at the attack. Actually, he looked quite amused and resigned to his destiny. Pharm had an eye on him since he got to the bar and sat across the counter with a whisky on the rocks. The man was already there drinking what seemed to be… a Coke? Yup, the only thing within the stranger's reach was the famous red can and it fitted nicely between his sultry lips. But besides the man's gorgeous features, another thing that caught Pharm's attention was the fact that he had been hit on by at least 3 women, 4 with the one who threw the drink on him now. He really was a hard one to get.
Pharm wasn't the kind to pay attention to others' personal business like that, but it was almost impossible not to watch the man's saga. He seemed to be pretty chill, just sipping on his beverage, really not looking around and focused on the condensation dripping down the can, but all the women and some of the men at the bar had an eye on him as if he was their prey. If Pharm was the one to be honest here, he was also eyeing the guy. What? He was hot and mysterious! Of course he would look at him! But noticing the man clearly wasn't looking for company for the night made Pharm give up on his idea. In fact, he had just stood up to leave the counter after laying a few banknotes enough to pay for his bill and turned to go to the exit when destiny bumped into him. A tall man that was on his way to the restroom, bumped into Pharm when he got up without looking his way first.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!", Pharm started to pat napkings around the man's chest where the drink had spilled, making his thin white shirt reveal he was built and hot. Pharm blushed at his dirty thoughts when he should feel ashamed for messing up someone's night like that. Feeling his senses coming back to him, he tilted his head to apologize looking at the victim's face. "I'm so–", but he couldn't finish the line.
Somehow, the person in front of him was the mysterious guy who was sitting across the bar not a second ago and had materialized behind him, provoking their accident.
"If you keep pressing it like that, you're gonna leave a mark!", the guy teased with a dimple appearing next to his bright smile, making Pharm realize one of his hands was just above the other man's nipple. He removed it fastly, blushing hard and was about to pray to any deity available and capable of making him disappear at that very moment, when the man reached a hand under his chin, prompting him to look up at him in the eyes. "It wasn't a reprimand, but an invitation…", the man whispered as if they weren't already close enough that Pharm could feel his warm breath hitting his face.
Doing the math real quick, Pharm analyzed what could go wrong if he decided to spend the night with that charming, hot and somewhat funny guy. And, sue him for being too horny and ignoring all the cons, but he just nodded while answering softly "There's a hotel across the street…".
********
Pharm decided to keep things simple and they both agreed on not sharing their real identities. This was the reason why Pharm decided to call the guy "Destiny", just like the thing that had brought them together. But he used the nickname only inside his mind, of course. He wasn't a freak!
Destiny had huge hands which were at the same time firm and gentle, pressing him on every single one of his sensitive spots and Pharm's mind drifted off a bit questioning if the red thread story could be real, because no way a one night stand was capable of making him feel that good, but it did. Several times, to be exact. Destiny's lips never were too far from Pharm's skin: switching between his lips, nipples and everything else under his waistline. It was like the man was worshiping every inch of his body and soon he gave in to his desire. Pharm felt his body burning up like fireworks exploding on new year's eve and he was sure his eyes had rolled up like a slot machine. The only regret he had from that night was the fact that he couldn't scream Destiny's real name, but that didn't slow down their performance. At least, it also looked like the taller one was pretty satisfied too. Pharm was single, but still knew a trick or two about how to make a man lose his mind in bed!
However, one night stands aren't meant to last and Pharm was perfectly aware of that and as soon as the sun lit up the sky, he left the hotel room to go to his own and prepare himself before meeting Win and Team that morning.
He was munching on a bite of croffle when his phone rang.
"Hi, mae!", he greeted his mom.
It's been a while since the last time he had visited her and his brother in the U.S and he missed them a lot. But the few minutes talking to the smart lady, made Pharm realize that he was still a child when his mom was around.
"... so are you gonna tell me the good news?", she asked at some point of their talk.
"What? What do you mean, mae?", Pharm asked confused.
"You sound so cheerful! It's been a while I don't see you like that! The last time was when you got promoted to be the main chef!", she giggled softly at her son's surprise.
And although Pharm gave her a bland excuse, both of them knew was a plain lie, deep down he recognized she was right. His body felt energized after the events of the night before and he wished he had the means to get in touch to Mr. Destiny again before leaving the country. He sighed hard and decided to finish his breakfast and get ready for their meeting.
However, a few hours later Pharm realized that maybe destiny really was in his favor, because when he finally got to the place Team had set up for their meeting that morning, he got introduced to Win's best man who was no other than Destiny – the guy. Whose real name was Dean, by the way.
********
"Pharm, why are you this pale? Are you sick or something?", Team asked worried at his friend's weird behavior after explaining Dean was Win's best friend since high school and now his best man.
"I–... We… You–", Pharm's eyes darted all over the pretty hotel hall: the three concerced faces staring at him and the exit door practically screaming as his only salvation. He could say at that second that he empathized with cockroaches moments before their death, because the panic attack he was feeling coming in was real and almost made him lose balance. Lucky him, Team held his elbow for support.
Pharm had been daydreaming about meeting Destiny again, but when he finally did it, it made him scared as fuck and the shock was so intense that almost took over his small body.
But then something weird happened.
"Nice to meet you… I'm sorry, but what is your name again?", Dean let his signature smile spread across his face with the dimple attached to it. His tone was so easy and sincere that Pharm almost gaslighted himself into believing last night had been a dream – a great one, but still just a fantasy –, when he stared at the hand Dean offered for a shake. Pharm noticed a faint mark where only a few hours earlier he had bitten on Dean's huge hand when he reached orgasm for the second time. He blushed at the memory, but decided to brush it out of the way and just play along.
"Pharm! I'm Pharm Triwinij!", he smiled and if his eyes weren't also under some sort of spell, he could swear he saw something becoming liquid behind Dean's eyes, as if his own smile was capable of making the taller man melt in front of him… Nah, it was probably his imagination.
"Do you two know each other?", Team was the one to ask the one million dollar question.
"Actually–", Pharm started to say when Dean interrupted him with a reply that made his world fall apart. "No. Not really."
And then Pharm went pale again, which made Team drag him into the restroom to try to get it together.
"What happened, Pharm? You're acting so weird!", Team asked preoccupied while pressing a wet towel over his best friend's face to make him feel less like a corpse and more like the alive being he still was. Not sure about that fact yet, maybe a doctor should be involved in this to confirm. Which was Team's reaction – calling the hospital to ask for an ambulance –, but then a thought crossed Pharm's mind in the form of a flashback and he grabbed the phone from his friend's hold and apologized to the emergency worker for hanging up.
"Why did you do that?", Team asked.
"Don't worry, I'm fine now!", Pharm answered firmly and his face really looked a bit better, which made Team leave the restroom after Pharm's pleas. He washed his face once more and then headed to the hall. When he was just a few feet away from the group, Dean smoothly turned his head to the direction Pharm was coming from and made visual contact. When he was sure Pharm had connected with him, he smiled. But it wasn't a smile like "Hey, nice stranger, I'm glad you didn't die and ruined our friends' wedding", it was more like a smug smile saying "Of course I know who you are, but I'm gonna pretend we have never seen each other before!".
And that was when Pharm decided to declare war.
********
"I hate sunflowers!", Pharm said simply when his opinion was asked. It was annoying the fact that he barely gave the flowers a look and dismissed them without a good reason for that. Team was about to explode soon.
They were at the flower shop seeing the arrangements and after Dean's suggestion, the couple was about to take the bright yellow flowers, when Team decided to include Pharm in the debate. Of course he rejected them! Exactly how he had been doing to every single thing Dean had suggested so far.
And to complete WinTeam's exhaustion, when Pharm did agree on something, Dean was the one to take it back and say he didn't like it. The cake, the silverware, the band, every single thing they should confirm on the last few days before the wedding became an insane war because Dean and Pharm seemed not to agree on absolutely nothing. It was like both men were the exact opposite of each other.
"Is there something wrong with you two?", Win asked after their fight over who would give a speech first and of course, both denied.
********
Pharm was feeling the sanity leaving his body, but not because he fought Dean about every possible thing in the universe, but because there were times in which the man was incredibly sweet, just like on their first night together.
One of them was when they were fixing the last details on their suits.
"Err… Team… is this right?", Pharm presented himself in front of the other three waiting for him.
"Oh my God! You look divine, Pharm!", Team hugged his friend and both started jumping around. The grooms couldn't see, Team because it was out of his sight, Win because he was focused on his fiancé's happiness, but Dean saw the despair in Pharm's eyes.
When Win and Team left for a minute to talk to the organizer, Dean and Pharm were left alone.
"You look great… for a salad dressing!", Dean said and bent down, hands resting on his knees, because his whole body was shaking with laughter.
"We're both on the same ship, mate!", Pharm gave him a deadpan look and then added "But why do we have to wear yellow?".
"It's mustard, Pharm!", Dean mimicked Win's explanation and rolled his eyes. It was supposed to be a funny remark, but the way Dean spoke Pharm's name made the cook melt just like pudding.
For a second he let his mind think on those forbidden thoughts about their first night. Dean's hand on his hips, his mouth on his neck and–
"Are you okay?", Dean asked worriedly.
"Huh?"
"You were blushing hard just now, do you have a fever?", Dean asked and Pharm could see he was genuine.
The cook cupped his cheeks with his hands and felt they were on fire. God, that was embarrassing!
"I-... Don't worry about me, you nosy bitch!", was Pharm's clever answer before running away to the dressing room to remove that horrendous yellow suit and to hide from Dean's warm gaze. That man was dangerous!
********
"Okay, now we're gonna rehearse the first dance, right?", Win clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. They were there with the families and friends for the dinner rehearsal and now was the time for the dance. Unfortunately for Dean and Pharm, their friends had asked them to be a pair, so the photographer could take nice shots of them. Considering none of them was capable of saying "no", especially for the grooms, they accepted. But not with a happy mood.
"Watch out or you gonna step on me!", Dean said after a few minutes into de dance.
The truth was: Pharm wasn't that bad at dancing. He knew enough so he wouldn't make a fool of himself on the dance floor, but standing so close to Dean made his brain go all fuzzy and weird.
"Are you gonna be more comfortable if you're the one conducting the dance?", Dean whispered on Pharm's ear and the man jumped 3 steps away from him, making everyone stare at them. The band stopped and WinTeam gave them a warning look.
"I'm okay, it was just something that pinched me!", he said coming back to Dean's embrace. "Don't you dare to take your hands away from me!", he barked between his gritted teeth.
"That sounds good, actually…", Dean whispered so low that Pharm wasn't sure the taller one really had said that or was just his mind playing a trick on him again. Whatever it was, they danced the rest of the evening in perfect sync.
Maybe Pharm was being too hard on Dean, he thought that night after getting to his hotel room. The man wasn't that bad – he could see why Win liked him. Maybe he should let his guard down a bit and try to get along with him, at least for the next day, which was also the most important one: it was time for WinTeam finally to exchange rings!
********
Against all the odds, the wedding day followed the plans without major problems. This might have involved Win and Team begging to their respective best friends to chill the fuck out – which finally showed results.
"Man, you're a freaking CEO! People call you 'The Shark' because you come unnoticed and eat them up without giving them a chance to beg for mercy!", Win was about to pull off his hair out of frustration.
Dean felt embarrassed. That nickname was indeed real. He was an ace at business negotiations, but when the topic was Pharm… "You don't get it, man! Everytime I'm around that little devil I feel my blood boiling and I lose my sanity!".
Win had to to bit his cheek from the inside to prevent a laughter to come out of him. It was amazing to witness that moment: his best friend finally had found someone who could touch that heart made of steel of his, but unfortunately he was still too oblivious about that fact.
"Look, my dearly and dumb friend…", Win sat by his side and won from the other a weird look.
"Why are you calling me like this?"
"Believe me, you are dumb, Dean. So freaking dumb I'm trying to control my hand not to facepalm my pretty face. You know, the wedding is tomorrow and I wanna look cute for my baby!", he winked.
"Can you please get to the point, you idiot?", Dean let out, but a part of him was actually feeling envious of his friend. Not that he wanted Team for him, but he missed the feeling of being that in love with someone. His heart ached a bit and he rested his hand over his chest as if easing the poor muscle that was now probably covered in cobwebs. He sighed hard.
"Just try to be nice to him, okay? That's all I'm asking for… consider this your gift for me!", Win begged him and Dean finally gave up. He wanted his friend to be happy on his big day. It shouldn't be that hard to ignore that little devil!
********
Dean and Pharm decided to behave like the adults they were and everything was fine until Dean disappeared in the crowd like a kid left alone without supervision.
"Did you two fight again?", Team asked at a certain point when he found Pharm without his pair.
"Ah… We… Of course we didn–", Pharm started to stutter, his guilt making his tongue get into trouble and messing up with his words.
Team sighed hard – he felt like he would be a great father in the future because the whole week he had been babysitting 2 adults and he could give himself a pat on the shoulder because they hadn't killed each other. Until now, at least. "I don't wanna know, Pharm! Just go find him because we're gonna take some photos next to the fountain in a few!"
Team rolled his eyes so hard Pharm got worried that they could fall out of the poor man's head. He knew he was being a pain in the ass of his most beloved friend and decided to put his big boy pants and be the mature one. "Don't worry, I'm gonna find him and we'll behave just fine until the end of the evening!"
Team wiped a tear of joy that threatened to roll down his cheek. "Promise?"
"I do, baby! By the way, you look gorgeous, do you know that? And I'm so, so happy for you!", Pharm hugged Team tightly and then let him go. "Your husband is waiting for you, see?", he pointed to a corner where Win was watching them – Team – with sparkling eyes.
Pharm felt something funny inside his chest seeing Win and Team chatting with each other as if they were the only people in the world. It was better to go after that stupid Destiny after all. He hadn't seen him in a while.
*******
When Pharm finally found Dean he wasn't really surprised to see that once again a woman throwing her drink on the tall male. He apparently was a magnet for that kind of thing.
"Damn, that might leave a stain!", Pharm noticed the liquid taining the perfectly mustard suit. When the girl left, he quickly came closer to the other. "Come with me!", Pharm grabbed Dean by his wrist and led him into a less crowded room. He didn't pay attention to their surroundings, but it sounded calm enough. So he took a handkerchief from his pocket and started to try to save Dean's clothes.
"Why are you helping me?", Dean asked after a few minutes.
"I'm not helping you, Mr. 'I don't know him'. I'm doing this for Win and Team for having such crap friends as us.", Pharm said, staring at Dean's eyes with rage? Resentment?
"Oh… so this is the reason why you are behaving bitterly this whole week?", Dean asked, surprised after finally connecting the pieces of the puzzle.
"Well, who wouldn't? I know the rules of a one night stand, but you were more than rude, you were mean to me!", Pharm pouted. He pouted. His pretty plumped lips were now shaped on a pout making them look even more adorable.
Dean giggled to himself and reached his arm to embrace the small waist in front of him. Pharm raised an eyebrow and the taller one just whispered "May I?". His expression was so tender, matching to his tone, that the boy almost melted right there. Instead, he acted like the innocent light novel's protagonist – widened eyes, parted lips – and just nodded.
Even though Pharm was expecting the impact, Dean's firm grip caught him off guard and he lost balance, resting his hands on the large chest for support.
Pharm gasped in surprise. "What are you doing, Dean?"
"Please… listen to me. If you want me to let go of you after that, I'll do it. But before that, answer me this: we didn't know each other's names and although you were the best sex of my entire life, I really don't know much about you…"
Dean's honeyed voice was soft and showered with sincerity. Pharm felt his cheeks heating up when realization finally hit him. It was true that they didn't know each other, so his reply when Team asked about it wasn't completely off. The famous cook hid his face on the large chest trying to cover his awkwardness.
"May I hug you?", Dean asked still using the same tone. Pharm felt like he could become addicted to that and keeping his face buried on the other's chest, he resigned himself to merely nodding as a reply.
Suddenly the music entered the room as if it was following a cue and hugging each other as they were, Dean started to move to the sides, in a slow paced dance that would make their instructor shiver in despair if he saw them at that moment, but still felt sweet to them.
"But I want to, you know?", Dean asked.
"What?", Pharm finally showed up his face and stared back at Dean's eyes.
"I really want to know you better, Pharm… I mean, I've seen your worst this week, now I'd like to know the other parts. If you agree, of course.", Dean explained.
"I–...", Pharm felt his heart beating so fast he thought it could explode, but at the same time it seemed right to accept the offer and so he did. "I would love to get to know you better too, Dean…", he smiled and once again the taller male felt his knees wobbling under his body.
"You know, everytime you smile like this at me I feel like I can fly and combust."
"Which one?", Pharm found the comment entertaining.
"Both. Always both. You make me crazy, Pharm."
Okay, now Pharm was blushing hard. He knew he was no different from a beet at that very moment.
"You're too kind, sir!", Pharm let his smile grow larger.
"Hmm… does it mean I deserve an award?", Dean whispered and hadn't the chance to ask again because soon Pharm's hungry lips took his own in a passionate kiss.
Actually, Pharm had been repressing his instincts the whole week just because he thought Dean despised him somehow. Now that they had passed that point and were on the same page, Pharm wanted to make sure to leave a mark, to show to Dean and himself that he wanted that with every inch of his body. This was the main reason he couldn't help or stop his hands that quickly undid all the buttons at sight and soon Dean was only in his underwear.
"May I?", Pharm asked while teasingly ran his forefinger on Dean's underwear, playing with the waistband.
"Please–", Dean was about to answer when they both got startled at a loud noise indicating someone clearing their throat.
Pharm didn't want to look around, but he knew he was about to face the most awkward moment of his life because he could read that on Dean's face.
Actually, the room they had the whole argument and were about to make out was the same where the fountain was placed and not only Win and Team, but the whole group of guests of the wedding and staff from the service were there watching them all along. When Pharm finally had the courage to face the crowd, he could notice an old lady turning her face to avoid looking at them and a few more guests trying to fan themselves.
"Well, at least they don't hate each other anymore!", Win said to no one in particular, but made every single person present in that room to break out laughing.
********
"That was so embarrassing!", Pharm repeated for the umpteenth time since they got their hotel room. Actually, it was Pharm's room, but considering they were a couple now, it was appropriate to use the plural! After repeating all the good stuff they had done days ago, they were now comfortably cuddling on the bed while Pharm rant about their unfortunate accident that evening.
"I was the one wearing only my boxers in front of everyone, Pharm!", Dean said and that only added more guilt on Pharm's shoulders.
"And I'm so sorry for that, Deeean~!", Pharm said hiding his face on Dean's large chest. It was unquestionable by now that he had a kink for that.
"Hey, look at me…", Dean said using his forefinger to retrieve Pharm's chin from his favorite place. When he finally faced Dean, the taller added "I'm glad we finally solved everything!" and pecked the pretty lips.
However, the kiss didn't make Pharm blush or smile as he intended to.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just sad that… We've wasted the whole week fighting over silly things when we could have done more of this…"
"Are you dumping me?"
"No, silly! It's just that I have my plane ticket scheduled for tomorrow, which leaves us with so little time to be together!
"Who said so?"
"I'm going back to London, Dean…", Pharm whispered, hoping this way it sounded less real, but the lump on his throat proved it wrong.
Pharm sounded so hurt by that fact that it made Dean's heart ache. They really should start working on better communication between them! He sighed and then brushed the chubby cheek that fitted perfectly inside his hand.
"And so do I, silly!"
Pharm's eyes widened so big in surprise that Dean couldn't help but to giggle at his boyfriend's cuteness – by the way, they should talk about labels at some point, but for now "boyfriends" sounded right. He loved the idea of being Pharm's boyfriend. They could change their status for engaged and married later, when Pharm accepted his proposal. Because there was no way he would let that man escape from him now!
Dean snapped out of his own thoughts and faced the curious man in his arms, tightening the hug a bit more, to what Pharm purred with pleasure. "I have lived in London for a few years now. I can't leave my family's business alone!", he winked.
"Oh my God! I can't believe this!", Pharm said and then proceeded to shower the beloved face with small kisses, making Dean giggling all along.
If Dean knew Pharm was ready to say "yes", he probably would get down on one knee at that exact moment. But those oblivious idiots would have time enough to figure that out in the future.
"I can't believe destiny gave me Destiny!", he was close to tearing up.
"The what?", Dean was confused by the choice of words.
"It's a long story", Pharm waved his hand like dismissing the topic for now "I can tell you about it later! Now we have something else to do!", he smiled not the cute smile he gave just seconds ago, but a smile that meant "I'm hungry and you're gonna be my meal!" and Dean was all in for that!
"Oh, I'll be glad to help you with that, sir!"