Work Text:
🦖🍼
As they ride up the elevator, heading to their rooms, Max sees Nat examining his key card. He turns it over, seemingly checking which room he'll be in.
They're on the back, close to the wall, and, even with the group split in three because of the size of the elevator, it's still a tight fit. Specially with Poppy and Zee cracking jokes.
Nat is laughing at their antics but it's soft, showing that all the day activities were finally catching up with him.
They had arrived in Japan midmorning and a crew took their bags straight to the hotel while they went sightseeing. They spent the whole day visiting different places and vlogging about it and, while it had been incredibly fun, they were all in need of sleep now.
He looks at Nat and smiles softly. He's blinking slowly and holding his bicep, softly rubbing his face against Max's shoulder, like a cat. Max almost turns to hug him but stops himself. Even if the others around are their friends, he and Nat haven't had a definitive conversation on their relationship yet, so he feels like it would be crossing a line to be so affectionate in public. He does hold and caresses Nat's hand when he reaches for his, though.
It's not like he's been subtle during the almost six years he and Nat have been together. Max is very aware of the large number of videos focusing on how he looks at Nat circulating around on the internet, but it doesn't really bother him. He can always joke about saving money for the dowry again, if he needs to (it's not even a joke per se , he's really saving money to propose). Nat knows his feelings are real and that is the most important thing.
The elevator stops and they all walk out of it, checking the doors to find their rooms. He's still holding Nat's hand when the younger man stops.
“It's here, Phi”, he says, unlocking the door with his card. With a frown, Max pulls his from his pocket to check. He had looked at it earlier, when they received them and it was a different room.
Their other friends arrived and most of them were quick saying ‘good night’ and finding their places. Mark stopped beside Nat and put an arm around his shoulder.
“Hey, it looks like we're rooming together, huh?” he said with a smile, unaware of Max's glare.
Net waved quickly as he passed by them and opened the room two doors over, throwing Max a smirk as he unlocked the door.
“Hope you don't snore, old man”, he said as he entered, leaving Max, Nat and Mark in the hallway.
“It's okay, Phi. We can trade places tomorrow. It's late”, Nat said, placatingly, as Mark said his ‘good night’ and left them. Soon they were alone in the hallway and Max was surprised by a peck on the lips. Nat smiled (the sweet smile that usually made Max want to devour him) and said ‘see you tomorrow’ softly, before entering the room and closing the door.
Fifteen minutes later, as he laid in bed alone, missing Nat terribly and listening to his roommate snore (oh, the irony), Max really considered dragging Net out and dump him with Mark and bring his Nong to sleep with him. Net was just lucky that they were all so tired.
🦖🍼
After another whole day of traveling, vlogging and joking around, it was again time to go to bed. As the group was saying their ‘good nights’ in the hall, Max asked Nat for his key card. He'd be damned if he had to spend another night without him again.
With a shy smile and a fond expression, Nat opened his door before placing the card on Max's palm.
“Let me get my bag, Phi”, he said as the other men around teased him and Max.
Without feeling bothered, the taller man pointed at his door, signaling to Net that he should go grab his things as well. Net rolled his eyes, but remembered how much Max grumbled and mumbled and complained about the mix up and not being able to sleep with his N'Nat and decided not to poke the tiger more. He had teased him enough that morning, before they left for the day. It was known, by him and the rest of the cast and crew, that Max's patience existed mainly for Nat. It would do him no good to test its limits.
While they all waited (everyone being nosy enough to witness the whole show), Mark approached Max and said, in a low voice, that Nat was sulking as well when he went to bed last night making it obvious that Max wasn't alone in his suffering.
That calmed him a little. Knowing his Nong also missed him and hearing it from Mark, his once rival (yeah, apparently he still carried some unresolved feelings ever since ‘Why R You?’, sue him), did wonders for his heart.
Net emerged from the room with his bag in tow and gave Max his key and a stinky eye while taking Nat's from his hand.
As everyone hollered and teased, Net and Nat passed each other in the hallway and Nat gave him an apologetic smile that was dismissed with a wink. He wasn't considered Gen 1 and 2's baby for nothing: it was actually impossible for them to be angry or annoyed with Nat. He was just too sweet and polite. The only one that was ever rude to him was Max himself, back in his Saran days, but look at him now: completely enamored with his N'Nat, to the point of becoming almost insufferable when forced to spend one night apart from him.
Max reached for Nat's bag, placed his other arm over his shoulders and threw a ‘good night’ to the others, ignoring their wolf whistles and teasing words. He looked at Nat but he was avoiding everyone's eyes, shy and red in the face, but still with a small smile. He reached up and held the hand that was around him, pressing a quick kiss on it. That calmed him. He knew Nat didn't like to be put in the spotlight like this, but as embarrassing as it was, if he was willing to be affectionate in front of their friends, it meant he was okay with it.
🦖🍼
While Nat finished his skin care in the bathroom, Max placed another comforter on the bed. His Nong liked to hog the covers and bury himself under them. So Max always made sure he had extra blankets close by. He got cold easily and it was too adorable when he could barely be seen under all of them. Max had a small collection of pictures of him being almost indistinguishable from a pile of comforters and pillows in his phone.
He felt Nat hugging him from behind and enjoyed the embrace for a moment before turning around to face his smaller boyfriend. Nat raised his face, anticipating a kiss that Max was quick to deliver. As they spent the previous night separated and practically the whole day in front of cameras, they couldn't indulge in nothing but casual touches. It should be ridiculous how they both felt almost touch starved but Max already had made his peace about them being clingy to each other years ago.
But they had spent the day walking around, visiting stores, playing and joking and they were tired and in need of their beauty sleep. Max picked Nat up just to place him in bed and soothe his eager hands with softer touches. He kissed his pouty lips and sucked the bottom one before announcing it was time to bed.
“No, Phi. I miss you!” Nat said, whining to try to convince Max to continue their activities.
“Aren't you tired? I know you are. I missed you too but we have another full day tomorrow and we need to rest,” answered Max, in a soft voice that always made Nat melt. He pressed quick kisses all over his face and neck, intent on distracting him. They could always try to have an early morning to scratch the itch.
“You're not being fair!” Nat said, still whining, but since he was interrupted by a yawn, he had to admit Max was right.
Max turned them on the bed, keeping Nat snuggled against his side, with his head on Max's shoulder. They shared a few more kisses before Nat rested against his chest, with his eyes closed.
“Isn't it silly that we can't spend one night apart anymore?” He asked, in a low, sleepy voice.
Max thought about it. Indeed it was. They were both so used to share beds when traveling or sleep at each other's places that one night apart had been enough to make sleep elusive and sour their moods. They had received enough side-eyes from Tutor and fond/exasperated sighs from Park to realize they were unusually grumpy.
He looked at Nat before answering and noticed he had fallen asleep. He smiled softly and hugged him close before answering in a whisper.
“Then I guess I have to fix that.”
He had a ring at home. It was a simple white gold band, nothing flashy. He had been saving for something more impressive, but as he thought of Nat's general simplicity, he realized a simpler ring would suit him better.
He fell asleep without noticing and dreamed of Nat saying ‘yes’.
🦖🍼