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Sky is his good luck charm. He comes to almost every race now, and Prapai greatly enjoys getting a kiss for luck and a quick “stay safe” each time he gets on the bike. It seems to work, too. He was already the top racer, but his times increase significantly when Sky’s in the crowd, watching him with pride in his eyes. Yes, Sky is his good luck charm, which could explain how Prapai ends up injured at the first race in months that Sky chooses not to attend.
It’s nothing serious, just a mild wrist sprain that means he’ll have to wear a brace for the next two weeks. Lots of resting it and icing it, which wouldn’t normally be a problem, but…Sky. He would usually have told Sky right away, accepting the good with the bad. The good being Sky fussing over him until he’s better, and the bad being Sky getting worried about him racing.
Currently, however, Sky is neck deep in schoolwork, cramming for his final exams, building models, and finishing presentations. He’s thoroughly stressed, and Prapai wants nothing more than to be there 24/7, offering hot meals and neck massages and bullying him into taking naps every so often. But he knows Sky, and beneath his snarky exterior, Sky is, above all, completely and utterly kind. Especially for the people he loves, he can’t help being a caretaker. It’s one of the things Prapai loves most about him. Unfortunately, it also means that Pai absolutely cannot let Sky see him until one of two things happens: his wrist heals, or Sky’s finals are over.
The doctor had given him a probable two weeks until his injury was resolved, aligning almost exactly with when Sky’s barrage of schoolwork should be ending. He figures it shouldn’t be too much of a problem; he can claim a heavier workload, insist that he doesn’t want to bother Sky while he’s cramming, and make sure to keep up a steady stream of calls, texts, and food deliveries. Hopefully, studying will keep Sky too busy to miss him, and when he finally finishes, Prapai will be there with open—and uninjured—arms.
This goes off without a hitch on day one, since Sky texts him to let him know not to wait up, that he’s having an all-night study session at his dorm with his classmates. Prapai breathes a sigh of relief, and mentally reschedules his invented excuse for the next night. Sure enough, he needs it the following evening when Sky calls him after classes end.
“I don’t think I’ll be very good company tonight, P’Pai,” he sounds apologetic, “I have a million things to do, but I’ll make time for dinner. Should I meet you at your place or mine?”
“I’m so sorry, honey.” Pai truly is, he can’t stand to deny Sky anything he wants. “I’m having dinner with a client tonight.” It’s not a lie, technically. He did ask Namtan to schedule him a client dinner, though it could have easily been done another evening if he hadn't needed the excuse.
“That’s okay,” Sky replies easily, which somehow makes Prapai feel worse than if he’d complained. His Sky is so understanding. “It’ll give me a little more time to cram.”
“Don’t forget to eat,” Pai responds immediately, very aware of the way Sky will sometimes get wrapped up in his projects and neglect his basic human needs, like food and sleep. “I’ll order you something,” he decides, knowing that Sky will likely forget without the reminder of someone knocking on his door.
“You’re so good to me, P’Pai,” Sky teases him. Prapai can practically hear the smile in his voice, and it makes his heart ache a little to think of going two weeks without it.
“You only deserve good things,” Pai tells him earnestly. Sky breathes out a laugh at that, and it lifts his heart up a bit. They go back and forth until Sky reaches his dorm, Pai refusing to hang up until Sky air-kisses him through the phone.
He orders delivery, giving Sky’s dorm as the address and frowning a little when he thinks about Sky eating alone. Sitting through the client dinner is torture, albeit one he inflicted on himself. He can’t stop thinking about Sky, and pulls his phone out halfway through to check and see if he’s eaten. Luckily, he has, which makes Pai feel a little better about not being there to eat with him.
That night, he sleeps in an empty bed, hugging a pillow and wishing it smelled more like Sky. He wakes up groggy and stays that way long enough that Namtan brings him a second cup of coffee without being asked. He knows Sky has an exam that afternoon, so he sends him a good luck text with a long string of kisses. He gets a thank you with a heart emoji in response, which makes him smile. He clicks on Sky’s contact picture so that it fills up the screen, heart twisting a little at how widely he’s smiling in the photo. He slams his phone down guiltily when Namtan enters his office, causing her to narrow her eyes in suspicion.
He texts Sky preemptively this time, wanting to avoid the feeling that came along with saying no to him.
Prapai
Going to be writing performance reviews all evening. Might have to tomorrow as well. Don’t forget to eat, I’ll order you something. ♥️♥️♥️
And he does need to write the performance reviews. They’re due in only a few days, and he’s specifically put them off so he has a valid reason to stay at the office. Somehow, the knowledge that he’s not technically lying to Sky is not making him feel any better about it. He takes a deep breath and reminds himself that it’s only for two weeks, and that it’s for Sky, so he’ll be able to focus on his finals.
That evening and the next are terrible. He can’t focus and Namtan is clearly frustrated with him, having to guide him back to the reviews constantly. He can’t blame her, if he didn’t need to avoid Sky, he wouldn’t want to stay after hours either. He makes a mental note yet again to up her year-end bonus. She basically keeps his life together, he doesn’t want her looking for another job.
Sky calls him the next day, apologizing profusely because he knows they haven’t seen each other in days, and they’ve both been so busy, but…he’d already promised Sig and Rain to spend that evening helping them study. Prapai tells him that it’s okay, he understands, and tries not to let any note of relief enter his voice.
“Once you’re done with your exams, we’ll see each other every day,” he promises, though he’s not sure who he’s reassuring more, Sky or himself. Prapai stares at his phone for fifteen minutes after Sky hangs up, only coming out of his reverie when Namtan enters.
“Khun Pai?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll get right on it,” he waves her off distractedly.
“Is everything okay with Nong Sky?” He doesn’t answer right away, and she presses on. “You haven’t seen him all week, and you’ve clearly been distracted. Are you two fighting?”
“We’re not fighting,” he sighs. He almost wishes they were, then he could be trying as hard as he could to make it up to Sky, and maybe actually get to see him. He shakes the thought away as soon as it comes. As much as he misses Sky’s face, he wouldn’t want to see it frowning.
“If you tell me you’ve lost interest—” she starts, her tone far too heated to be speaking to her boss. Prapai appreciates it, though, loves that the people in his life all practically adopted Sky as soon as they met him, Namtan no exception.
“How could I? It’s Sky,” he counters, and her hackles come back down. “He doesn't know about my wrist,” he admits after a beat.
“Then tell him!” Her tone is completely exasperated.
“I don’t want him to worry during his finals,” he whines, and something like realization comes over her face. She shakes her head at him incredulously. She doesn’t roll her eyes, but it’s a close thing.
“You don’t think this will worry him?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “Staying at the office late with strange excuses? Not seeing each other for almost a week?”
“He’s busy with exams,” Prapai explains. “I was hoping he wouldn’t have time to think about it too hard.” This time she does roll her eyes.
“You’re being ridiculous. You should just go see him and explain yourself,” she says firmly.
“I will,” he agrees. “After finals.”
She spends that day and the next giving him dirty looks, though she still keeps him in line, always making sure they stay on track. That afternoon, he asks her to make sure he has a meeting that evening. She stands directly in front of his desk and glares daggers at him while she makes the call.
He calls Sky to let him know. This time, Sky is quiet for a few moments before he speaks.
“I know we’ve both been busy lately,” he starts, and Pai hums in agreement. “But…we’re okay, right? You’d tell me if we weren’t?”
“Of course we’re okay,” Prapai affirms immediately. He doesn’t feel guilty about saying it. It’s the truth, and he never wants Sky to doubt it. Something in his voice must resonate with Sky, because Pai can hear the sigh of relief on the other end of the phone.
“Good, I’m glad,” he replies, and he sounds it. “I know things are crazy right now, and it’ll be fine soon, but…I miss you.” It sounds like a confession, and Prapai grips the armrest of his desk chair tighter, to keep himself from running straight to wherever Sky is at that moment.
“I miss you, too,” he returns easily, and if there’s a roughness to his voice, he can’t be faulted for that.
That night is the worst one yet. He hardly sleeps at all. He can’t stop hearing Sky’s voice in his head, asking if they’re okay, saying that he misses him. They’re only halfway through the two weeks, and Prapai’s already crumbling this badly.
He spends the whole morning trying to think of an excuse for that night. He’s solely used work as an excuse up to this point, and thinks about claiming Phan or Plerng needs help. It’s a definite risk, though, they both adore Sky and always invite him along to everything. Plus, they’re both nearly as stubborn as Prapai. If he told them what he was doing and they didn’t agree, they’d just call Sky right up and tell him. His mother’s out, too, considering she practically worships the ground Sky walks on. She’s right to, of course, and it just proves where Pai gets his good taste from, but it presents the same risks as telling one of his younger siblings.
Eventually, he settles on another work excuse, figuring he can get Namtan to schedule him something before he talks to Sky later that day. This plan is promptly put to an end when Sky calls him instead. He hesitates for a second before picking up, unwilling to let it go to voicemail.
“P’Pai?”
“Hi, honey. How’s your studying going?” He hopes he can get Sky off on a tangent, that might keep him from trying to make plans.
“It’s fine,” Sky’s voice is even, but something’s not quite right about it. “Are you busy tonight?” his tone is light, but there’s a slight threat hidden under the question.
“I—” Prapai stops himself before he can continue. He doesn’t have plans tonight, not yet. He at least hasn’t outright lied to Sky since he started avoiding him, and it’s not a line he especially wants to cross. “No,” he finally answers.
“Good,” Sky’s tone doesn’t change. “Let’s have dinner.”
Prapai’s mind races for a few seconds before landing on a plan. Say yes now, have Namtan schedule something, then call and say something came up after all. Text if he’s feeling particularly cowardly.
“Okay,” he agrees. “I’ll see you there.”
“Where?”
“What?”
“Where will you see me? We never said.”
“Your place,” Prapai responds after a beat of silence. It doesn't matter, he knows, he’s going to cancel anyway. There’s a long stretch of silence over the phone, and it feels like agony. After what feels like an eternity, he gets a response.
“You’re not coming, are you?” Sky sounds like he’s about to cry and that —that’s…unacceptable.
“Baby—” Prapai starts, not knowing where he’s going. It doesn’t matter, because Sky cuts him off anyway.
“I need you to be there,” he says firmly. “Okay? I’m asking you to show up. For me.”
“Yes,” he answers before he can even think about it, crumbling without a second thought. “Of course I will.”
“Good,” Sky sounds numb, unsure, and Prapai hates it, hates himself a little for making Sky sound that way. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“You will,” Prapai promises, trying to convey in his tone how much he means it. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, P’Pai,” Sky says, and hangs up.
Prapai reevaluates. He’s miscalculated severely. Sky’s not only noticed he’s acting differently, but he seems to be jumping to the worst possible conclusions. The plan clearly needs massive restructuring. No more avoiding Sky, he decides, not when it makes him feel like this. He’ll take off the wrist brace whenever Sky’s around and wear it the rest of the time. It might take a little longer to heal, but it’ll be worth it to make sure Sky’s happy and confident in their relationship. In him.
He follows through on the new plan, leaving the brace in his office and showing up at Sky’s fifteen minutes early, food and flowers in hand. Sky seems hesitant when he opens the door, but smiles at the flowers and full on laughs at the way Prapai plasters himself against Sky’s front as soon as he takes them. Pai wraps himself around Sky as best he can while still holding the food and walks them backwards into Sky’s dorm. Sky distengles himself from Pai’s arms long enough to find a vase for the flowers, and Pai takes the moment to set all the food down. As soon as Sky finishes with the flowers, Prapai’s clinging to him again, kissing him deeply in an attempt to make up for lost time.
They eventually end up eating, sitting on the floor and talking as they do so, catching up on everything they’ve missed in the last week. By the end of the meal, Sky’s relaxed and smiling, and Prapai’s glowing with the knowledge that his new plan is working out much better than the last. Sky pulls him to the couch and he follows easily, warm and comfortable and secure.
“So,” Sky starts, and his tone somehow sounds like a warning. “I called P’Tan.” Prapai freezes up immediately, which might not be a great idea for his plausible deniability, but at this point, that’s probably a lost cause.
“Okay,” Prapai replies slowly, wanting to be sure of where Sky’s going with this.
“I know you’ve been asking her to schedule things in the evening,” Sky continues. “Tell me why?” he asks, so gently that Prapai cracks immediately.
“I’m sorry,” he can hear a little desperation in his own voice. “It’s not what you think,” he insists, then immediately regrets his choice of words. It only makes him sound more guilty.
“So tell me what it is,” Sky coaxes.
“I sprained my wrist!” Prapai blurts out. Judging by the look on Sky’s face, that wasn’t what he was expecting to hear. “And…I didn’t want you to worry. During your finals.” Sky’s face quickly morphs from confused to exasperated. He buries his face in his hands.
“P’Pai?” his voice is muffled.
“Yes, honey?” Prapai asks nervously, already feeling like he’s in trouble.
“You. You sprained your wrist? And you didn’t want me to be stressed?” He lifts his head back up. “So instead, you avoided me for an entire week and gave me flimsy excuses?”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“P’Pai!” Sky’s eyes are round now. “I thought you were mad at me! Or you wanted to break up, or—” He breaks off and Prapai’s breath hitches as he shakes his head.
“No, no, never, I’m sorry, baby, I am, really,” he starts babbling. “I just wanted you to be able to focus on your finals.” Sky lets out a long-suffering sigh.
“As much as I don’t like seeing you hurt, this was way more worrying, P’Pai.”
“I’m sorry,” Prapai repeats.
“Don’t do it again,” Sky warns. “Just talk to me next time, okay?” Prapai is nodding before he finishes his sentence, grasping Sky’s hand in his.
“That doesn’t hurt?” Sky asks, gesturing to where Pai is gripping his hand.
“It’s the other wrist,” Pai holds out his left hand. Sky gingerly wraps his fingers around it, turning it over as if inspecting it for damage.
“What did the doctor say?” he questions.
“Lots of ice and rest, and I have to wear a brace for two weeks.”
“Where’s the brace?” Sky furrows his brow and sets his hand down.
“I took it off to come here,” Prapai shifts, guilty.
“Where is it now?” Sky sounds exasperated, giving him the same look he does whenever Prapai says something he deems ridiculous.
“I left it in my office?” It comes out as a question instead of a statement.
“Okay,” Sky hums, unfolding his legs and standing up from the sofa, nodding towards the door.
“Where are we going?”
“Your office. You should be wearing your brace.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine for just one night, sweetheart.”
“P’Pai!"
“...Nevermind, let’s go.”