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They had been back from Chiang Mai for only two days, but it felt like everything had changed. Nani’s shirts still carried the scent of the North, and Sky had woken up that morning with a strange longing for shared breakfasts, for those slow walks through the zoo, for laughter hidden behind sunglasses.
Chiang Mai had a scent all its own. Of light rain falling on mango leaves, of incense burning out in a temple at sunset, of slow and genuine life. Sky had understood it the moment he set foot in Nani’s hometown. It wasn’t just a place; it was the breath of a part of himself he hadn’t known until now.
The holiday had been short, but intense. A refuge. No crew, no photographers, no fans chasing them down the street. Just the two of them. Sky and Nani.
Chiang Mai had been a parenthesis. But also a beginning.
There, in the city where Nani had grown up, two new red threads had been added to the one they already wore around their wrists. The first, tied during the airing of High School Frenemy, was a symbol of the beginning of their friendship, of their work bond. Now, those other two had become symbols of something they still didn’t know how to define. They had renewed their merits together, kneeling before the monks like any two boys, hands pressed together and hearts a little shy.
“We’re not just partners anymore,” Sky had said softly, when they returned to the hotel, their hearts still full of shared silences.
“No,” Nani had smiled, “now we’re… more.”
The shared hotel room had been the setting for too many whispered laughs in the night, shoulders brushing—by accident, or maybe not. Hands passing a pillow absentmindedly, but lingering a moment too long. The silence, full of confessions that needed no words.
They had been back in Bangkok. The routine had welcomed them again with its familiar chaos: events, interviews, ads, lives, brands. But something in them had changed—and the fans had noticed.
That day, after an event full of applause, smiles, and fleeting glances between them, Sky had collapsed onto his couch after a shower, phone in hand. Social media was exploding: videos, photos, edits full of hearts, fans writing they looked like “a married couple on their honeymoon.”
He laughed to himself, then grew serious. They weren’t a couple. But there was something. Something new.
The TikTok live notification from Nani popped up just as he was trying to take off his socks, it was too hot. He slipped back onto the couch and joined.
Nani was there, live, with his usual sweet smile and a pretty hat — strictly pink. Nani wanted to be the bad boy, sure. But Sky watched him and thought there was nothing sweeter than him at that moment.
“Thank you for today,” he was saying, “really, thank you all… you’re too kind… I’m not doing anything special, just… just being here, talking, and you’re still here…”
He rambled. Laughed. He scratched his ear now and then as if unsure what to say. Sky realized he was smiling to the phone, like an idiot.
Then, Nani moved on to the fan gifts.
“Look at this…” he said, holding up a bright pink MyMelody crop top.
Sky sat up straighter on the couch.
“It’s… cute, right?” he laughed. “I tried it on in front of the mirror, but… I don’t feel comfortable. Too much belly showing… someone might get mad.”
Sky stiffened. Someone who?
Nani held it up against his sweatshirt to show where it would fall. “Like… here. See? Too much. Right?”
Sky bit the inside of his cheek. It was definitely too much. And no, not too much for the fans. Too much for Sky. The idea that someone else might see that bit of skin, those delicate lines of his waist, that shy look… it drove him insane.
He typed a comment, then deleted it.
Then retyped it.
“Only if you try it on, in front of me.”
Deleted again.
The live continued and fans went wild over the crop top, the hat, everything. But at some point, Nani looked at the screen and seemed to get distracted for a second. His eyes softened, and he smiled faintly.
Sky hadn’t written anything. But Nani had seen him online. And that smile… that one wasn’t for anyone else.
They weren’t just colleagues anymore. They weren’t just friends. Something was changing. And Sky knew that sooner or later, he would have to tell Nani — with words or with a gesture — that he didn’t want anyone else seeing him in that crop top.
Only him.
The live had ended ten minutes ago, but Sky was still there, clutching his phone. The screen was black, but his heart was pounding like he was still watching.
That crop top.
That smile.
That “someone might get mad.”
Sky knew exactly who that someone was.
It was him.
He wanted to knock on Nani’s door, rip that pink shirt out of his hands and hide it in the bottom of a drawer. But he couldn’t. Not officially. Not yet.
He scrolled through their messages. Their chat was a mix of silly memes, reminders, random emojis, and photos and videos from Chiang Mai. He stopped on one picture: Nani, in front of the temple. The memory of that moment wrapped around him quickly: he had felt like he was in the right place, at the right time, with the right person.
A break from the chaotic, demanding life, he wished could last forever. Because he was with Nani.
Just him and Nani.
Just him.
That crop top was too much.
He typed, deleted. Typed again. This time, he hit send.
Sky:
That crop top. Don’t wear it for everyone.
Three dots appeared immediately. Nani was reading.
Nani:
Huh?
Sky bit his lip. Too direct. Too jealous. But it was done now.
Sky:
I don’t know. I just don’t like it. I don’t want everyone to see it.
The reply was slow to come. Sky got up and started pacing the living room.
Nani:
…are you jealous?
Sky froze. Took a deep breath.
Sky:
Maybe.
Yes.
The silence in the chat was deafening. Then, a notification.
Photo received.
Nani had sent a selfie. He was in his room, mirror behind him, the MyMelody crop top lying on the bed.
Nani:
Okay. Then I’ll only wear it, if you’re the one watching.
Sky felt his heart leap forward, as if it had just skipped a beat.Then he typed, a little more quietly:
Sky:
Can I come over?
The message hung there for a few seconds.
Nani:
Yeah.
But bring something to eat. I’m hungry.
Sky burst out laughing. Shook his head, then replied.
Sky:
So you’re using me.
Nani:
Only because you know where to find the best khao soi in Bangkok.
Sky grabbed his keys and put on his shoes. He didn’t know exactly what was happening between them. But whatever it was, it was starting like this.
With a pink crop top, three red threads, and two steaming bowls of khao soi. And that was perfectly fine.
Sky knocked just once, but the door opened immediately. Nani was there, in a sweatshirt and shorts, barefoot. He smelled like peach gel shower. His hair was still a bit damp. Maybe he had just showered. Maybe he had gotten ready for him.
“Did you bring the khao soi?” he asked, looking straight at the bag in Sky’s hands like it was the most important thing in the world.
Sky smiled as he stepped inside. “Double portion. I know you — you’d finish mine too.”
“And be hungry two hours later.” Nani laughed, closing the door behind him.
The light in the apartment was warm, soft. The living room was messy, as usual: a crumpled blanket on the couch, some fan gifts still scattered around. Sky was used to it. He liked that familiar chaos.
While Nani prepared the bowls in the kitchen, Sky watched him in silence. His eyes followed the hem of the oversized sweatshirt, where every now and then the slight curve of his back peeked through. The red threads sparkled faintly when his sleeve rose. Still there. The same threads they had tied again in Chiang Mai. They would never take them off.
Nani turned and caught him staring.
“What?” he asked, a bit embarrassed. “Do I have something on my face?”
Sky shook his head. “No. It’s just… I like watching you in your space, in your life — it’s a view only I get to see.”
Nani stiffened for a second. Then he laughed, scratching the back of his neck, blushing slightly. “Stop it. You only talk like that when you’re hungry.”
Sky stepped closer, slowly. Took the bowl from Nani’s hands, but deliberately brushed his fingers. A brief touch, but enough to make them both hold their breath.
“I talk like that because it’s true.”
They sat down on the rug, like always. The coffee table was too low to eat comfortably, but it was part of the ritual.
Nani ate delicately, yet eagerly. Sky watched him, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“What?” Nani asked, his mouth full.
“Nothing. You’re just… you.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Sky looked into his eyes, serious this time.
“It’s my favorite thing.”
Nani lowered his gaze. Took a sip of water. He was getting flustered. It happened often, whenever Sky got too direct. Not because he didn’t like it — but because he never quite knew what to do with that feeling.
When he finished eating, he let himself fall backward, hands behind his head.
“Ugh. I’m gonna roll away.”
Sky lay down next to him, turned on his side. He was watching him.
“Where did you put that pink crop top?”
Nani squinted. “You really want to see me in that?”
“Yes.”
Silence. Only the sound of distant traffic and their breathing.
“It’s super short,” Nani murmured, not looking at him. “I swear, I’m embarrassed.”
Sky reached out and touched his wrist, right where the red threads were.
“I like even the parts you don’t want to show.”
Nani turned to him. Big eyes, shiny, a little confused.
“Sky… I don’t think I know how to flirt, not the way like you do.”
Sky smiled, slow, gentle. “You don’t have to. I like who you are.”
Nani bit his lip. Then, as if trying to break the tension that was growing too big, he laughed, got on his knees, and grabbed a cushion.
“Okay, if you say one more thing like that, I’ll hit you with this.”
Sky laughed. “Alright. But wear it. Just for me.”
“Maybe… later.” Nani scratched his head. “When I stop shaking.”
Sky got up and walked over to him. Gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Are your hands shaking?”
Nani looked at him. “Only when you’re too close.” And Sky, then, stayed where he was. Just a breath away.
The silence lingered like a thin blanket between them. It didn’t weigh. But it warmed.
Sky didn’t move. His hand still on Nani’s shoulder. No pressure, just presence. And yet, for Nani, that touch lit a fire under his skin.
“I’m going to the bedroom for a sec,” he said, not meeting his eyes.
Sky nodded slowly and let him go. He watched him as he disappeared behind the door, and only then did he collapse against the couch, his lungs burning.
The bedroom door stayed closed for a couple of minutes. Long ones. Too long.
Then, it opened. Slowly. Nani came out in silence. He had taken off his hoodie, revealing himself slowly, almost shyly. And there it was—the pink MyMelody crop top clinging to him like a second skin. The soft tissue hugged his torso, riding just above the waist, exposing a sliver of smooth, warm skin. His collarbones caught the light; his shoulders looked narrower, somehow softer. The pastel color made his skin glow, and the cartoon print gave him an air of playful boldness that clashed sweetly with the uncertainty in his eyes.
He stood still for a moment, as if unsure whether to laugh or run. As if waiting for Sky to say something—anything.
But Sky said nothing. He just stared. Like someone watching a star fall out of the sky and not knowing whether to make a wish or just hold his breath and let the moment burn into memory.
Something in the air shifted. And neither of them could pretend it was just a joke anymore.
Nani stood in the middle of the room, barefoot, shorts low on his hips, belly button exposed, that thin, pale skin on display — no, not to the world.
Just to Sky.
His eyes downcast, arms at his sides, awkward. Vulnerable.
“I know, it’s ridiculous,” he murmured.
Sky stood up, slowly, as if afraid of breaking something in the air.
“It’s perfect.”
Nani looked up at him. “Perfect to laugh at?”
Sky stepped closer. “Perfect for you.”
Nani’s eyes got glossy, but he didn’t say anything. His ears had turned red. He was trying to stand still, but his fingers twitched nervously.
“You’re not mad?” he asked softly. “I mean, if I really wear this…”
“Only if it’s for me,” Sky replied, just as softly.
They stayed like that. Facing each other. No longer just actors. No longer just friends. Something new, fragile, and real.
Sky raised his hand and gently adjusted the hem of the top, which had gotten a bit twisted. His fingers brushed the skin. He felt Nani hold his breath.
“Are your hands still shaking?” Sky asked.
Nani didn’t look away. His eyes held Sky’s with something raw and open behind them, like a wound that no longer bled, but hadn’t healed either.
“Only when you touch me.” he whispered. The words fell between them like something sacred, fragile and impossibly brave. Sky’s lips curved into a smile—soft, slow, unguarded. A smile that cradled everything he couldn’t say aloud. It wasn’t flirtatious. It wasn’t teasing. It was warm and tender and a little broken, like a promise whispered through a locked door.
Then he leaned in, closing the space between them with a kind of reverence, as if Nani were made of something that might disappear if he moved too fast.
Sky smiled, with a sweetness that almost hurt.
“Then I’ll keep touching you.” he murmured—not like a threat, but like a vow.
His fingers brushed the back of Nani’s hand first, featherlight, then trailed up his wrist, lingering where the pulse beat fast and reckless.
He could feel the tremble there—small but real—and somehow, it made everything more solid.
Nani closed his eyes for a second, as if trying to etch that sentence into his memory. Then he reopened them, slowly.
“Can you… stay here tonight?” he asked, almost shy.
Sky didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stepped even closer, closing the last bit of distance, until their foreheads touched.
“Only if we sleep in the same bed,” Sky said, his voice soft but steady, like he’d thought about it more than once.
Nani’s expression didn’t change right away, but something in his eyes did—like a quiet light flickering to life. He nodded slowly, the smallest smile curving his lips.
“Like in Chiang Mai,” he murmured, and there was warmth in his voice, a layer of memory that softened the edges of his words. He was remembering the quiet of that room, the laughter stifled under the covers, the long silences that had said too much. The safety of closeness, without questions.
Sky held his gaze, but this time there was a different energy between them—less innocent, more aware.
“But this time,” he added, and his smile turned into something crooked and vulnerable, “no pillow in the middle.”
The pause that followed was thick with things unsaid. It was no longer just about sleep. It was about permission. Trust. The kind of closeness that didn’t need to be hidden anymore.
Nani's breath caught just slightly, barely audible, and then he nodded again. Firmer this time. His hand brushed against Sky’s, fingers hesitant but deliberate, like a silent agreement being sealed.
“No pillow,” he said, almost a whisper.
A smile. A nervous laugh. And then, only the sound of the crop top’s tissue shifting softly as Nani took Sky’s hand and led him to the bedroom.
The room was bathed in a soft glow, from a small lamp on the nightstand. Nani passed in front of it for a second, and Sky could only see him in silhouette: pale skin, gentle lines, the crop top cutting across a body that was now so familiar — yet never this vulnerable. Or this beautiful.
They sat on the bed without saying a word. They had already laid together, in Chiang Mai. They had shared pillows and dreams in silence. But now it was different. Everything hummed, even the air.
Nani pulled his knees to his chest, nervous. Sky watched him from his pillow, with a half-smile and full eyes.
“Are you cold?” he asked gently.
“A little.”
“Do you want a hoodie?”
“No… I have you…”
The silence that followed was as fragile as wet paper. Then Nani moved, slowly, like something inside him had just been unlocked.
He turned toward Sky and looked at him for a moment. Then, without a word, he straddled his lap, slowly, with hesitation and an unsteady heartbeat.
Sky didn’t move, his eyes lifting to meet his from below. His hands rested on Nani’s thighs, not holding — just resting.
Nani was there, on top of him. In that pink crop top, narrow hips, bare skin at the center of his chest, the red threads clearly visible on the wrist that now trembled much less.
Sky swallowed.
“Are you okay?”
“I feel…” Nani took a breath. “…like I’m doing something really stupid.”
Sky shook his head, slow. “No. You’re doing something really brave.”
Nani leaned forward, resting the forehead against Sky’s.
Sky’s heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. His hands slid to lightly brush Nani’s hips, as if to make sure he was real.
“Is this okay, or am I going too far?” Nani asked, barely a breath from his lips.
Sky looked him in the eyes, and didn’t look away.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Nani smiled, just a little. His eyes were glossy — but not from shame. From relief.
“Can I stay here? Right here?”
“Stay as long as you want.”
Sky ran a finger down his back, until it came to rest on the light tissue of the crop top.
“Even forever, if you want.”
Nani let his forehead fall on Sky’s shoulder, laughing softly. A laugh almost broken.
“Don’t say things like that. You’ll make me want to believe you.”
Sky held him gently. “What if it’s all true?”
Nani’s breathing slowed. His body relaxed. His hands, now, didn’t tremble anymore.
“Then, I’m staying.”
Sky kept his eyes on Nani, who was breathing softly, still folded against him. Their breath was one, blended together. The light tissue of the crop top rose and fell with Nani’s uneven rhythm.
Sky lifted a hand. Slow, almost hesitant. He brushed his bare side, where skin began under the pink hem. It was smooth, warm, alive. He felt the muscles tense for a moment, then soften.
“You’re tickling me,” Nani murmured, without moving.
Sky smiled, but didn’t stop. He kept exploring with an open palm, moving slowly along the line of his waist, tracing the gentle curve of his ribs. His thumbs caressed the folds of the tissue — a touch that asked for nothing, but said everything.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, voice low and hoarse.
“No,” Nani replied, lifting his head slightly. “I like how you touch me, how you look at me… But not like usual. In a different way.”
Sky looked down for just a second, at his body — that crop top now too short to contain everything Nani was.
“It’s just… you’re beautiful, Nani. And I’m not saying it because I want something. I’m saying it because it’s impossible not to see it.”
Nani took his hand—the one still exploring his skin—and brought it to the center of his chest. Where his heart was beating. Loud. Honest.
“Can you feel it?” he asked.
Sky nodded. “Yeah.”
“It’s like this, only with you.”
Sky bit his lip, trying not to get lost in that intimacy. But it was impossible. Every inch of Nani pulled him in. His body, the proud fragility, the quiet courage that radiated off him. Sky’s hands moved on their own now, more confident: one stayed on his waist, the other slid to his back, under the tissue. The skin was warm, tense.
Nani held his breath, but didn’t pull away.
They looked at each other.
And in that look, there was everything: the shared past, sleepless nights, trembling hands, and now — this new tension, physical, yes, but even more emotional.
Sky leaned in slowly and brushed Nani’s lips with his own. Not a kiss. Just a touch. A preview.
Nani trembled. But this time, it wasn’t fear.
“Can I?” Sky whispered, eyes locked on his.
Nani nodded. “Your lips… they’re as soft as I imagined…” The thought escaped him—hidden, maybe, for a long time.
“Nani…” Sky moaned, his mind fogging with that awareness.
“I want it.”
So Sky moved.
Not with urgency. Not with hunger. But with the awareness of someone about to cross a threshold from which there’s no return.
His face drew closer to Nani’s, millimeter by millimeter. He could feel his breath on his skin—warm and trembling. Nani’s eyes didn’t close; they stayed open, locked onto his. There was fear in them, yes. But also something new. Something opening.
When their lips finally touched, it was almost imperceptible. A whisper. Just a moment. Just long enough to give Nani the chance to pull back if he’d changed his mind. But Nani didn’t move. In fact, he was the one who closed that last sliver of distance.
And then Sky kissed him for real.
Slow. Warm. Soft like a promise. Like a caress taking shape in the mouth of another. Their lips sought each other gently, shy at first, then more certain. They moved together in a rhythm they’d never known but that felt written into them.
Nani melted against him. Literally. His whole body let go of its tension, as if surrendering to something he’d held back for too long. He placed a hand on Sky’s chest, where his heart beat loudly—as if to anchor himself.
The kiss wasn’t hungry. It was deep. Slow. Every brush of their lips a discovery, every pause a shared breath.
Sky cupped Nani’s face in his hands, holding it like something fragile and precious. His thumbs brushed over his cheekbones, his chin. And as he kissed him, he understood.
He understood that Nani wasn’t just beautiful. Wasn’t just a colleague, a partner, a friend. He was sacred ground—something to touch with reverence. A world entrusted to him—with its hesitations, invisible scars, and that heart beating softly beneath his fingers.
Every inch of Nani, every held breath, every hesitation finally letting go—it was a gift.
And Sky received it with open hands. Without demanding. Without rushing. Just staying. Just kissing.
Because this, now he knew, was the right way to touch beauty: with care, with awe, with love that hasn’t yet been named—but is felt everywhere.
The kiss dissolved into a shared breath. Nani was still on his knees, his body resting lightly against Sky, forehead once again pressed to his. Sky’s fingers were back under the crop top, open across Nani’s bare back, as if holding together something that might break.
“Will you sleep with me like this?” Nani whispered, his voice tight.
Sky gently caressed his back with his palm. “Like what?”
“Like this… close.”
“I wouldn’t know how to do it any other way.”
Nani pulled back slightly, just enough to take off his crop top. He did it with a simple gesture, not trying to make it heavy. But it was. Sky never looked away. Not out of hunger. Not out of possession. But because it was impossible to look anywhere else.
He let it fall beside the bed. A soft, pink thing. Like Nani.
Nani lay down next to him. Sky stretched out an arm to invite him in. Nani followed, curling up against him, his bare chest pressed to Sky’s, their legs intertwined like someone finally surrendering to something real. Sky pulled the sheet over them.
The room was filled with the soft hum of the air conditioner. And with something much more alive—the sound of their bodies breathing.
Sky kissed him again. On the lips. Then at the corner of his mouth. Then on his neck, where he felt his pulse. Each kiss was slow. Each touch deliberate. As if he were learning a new language.
Nani traced small circles on Sky’s arm with the tips of his fingers. Eyes half-closed, heart wide open.
“I’m sorry if I don’t always know what to do,” he murmured.
“It’s okay,” Sky replied, pressing his forehead to his. “I don’t always know either. But with you… I want to learn everything.”
They stayed like that. Barely touching. Kissing slowly. Their hands moved along hips, through hair, everywhere. But nothing rushed. Everything stayed suspended, in the right place.
At some point, Nani fell asleep, face buried in Sky’s neck, arms wrapped around his waist. Sky felt him give in, his body relaxing completely against his.
He didn’t move. Didn’t want to ruin anything.
The crop top was still there, at the foot of the bed.
Three red threads on their wrists.
And he, who had never truly believed in fate, now couldn’t stop believing.
Sky woke up first.
The sun wasn’t high yet, but it was already spilling gently through the window. His eyes opened slowly, still hazy. Then he saw Nani, curled up against him. Asleep, soft, tender in a way that almost hurt.
One leg tangled with his. A hand resting on his bare chest. Hair tousled, face relaxed, completely unguarded.
Sky wondered if he had ever been this close to someone—this naked, and yet clothed in everything. Words weren’t needed here. There was only Nani’s warm body against his, and the weight of trust fallen asleep on top of him.
He watched him for a long time.
Then he leaned down and brushed his lips against his forehead, barely. A kiss that was a thank you.
Nani made a small sound, something between a breath and a hum. He stretched lazily, rubbing his face against Sky’s neck.
“What time is it?” he murmured, still heavy with sleep.
“It’s early,” Sky replied. “You can sleep a little longer.”
Nani snuggled closer. “I don’t want to. Your scent is addictive—I find myself breathing just to feel it inside me.”
Sky smiled. His heart skipped a silent beat, the kind that doesn’t warn you but changes your rhythm.
“I didn’t think you were so poetic in the morning.”
Nani gave him a gentle pinch at the waist, then laughed—that laugh that shook his chest and that Sky now recognized with his eyes closed.
“I’m not. It’s your fault. Sleeping like this, wrapped around you… it empties my head. Or maybe it fills it too much.”
Sky ran his fingers slowly down Nani’s back. “Is that so bad?”
“No.” Nani’s voice was a breath. “What about you? Were you already awake, did you sleep badly?”
He pulled back just enough to look at him. His eyes were puffy with sleep, but clear. Vulnerable. His gaze kept falling to Sky’s lips, then darting back up, like he was trying to resist—but couldn’t.
Sky smiled, letting his fingers caress his back.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you in that crop top…”
Nani laughed softly, that thin, curled laugh he only had in the morning.
“Are you saying it looks better on me?”
Sky turned slightly to face him. “I’m saying you look better on me.”
Nani looked up. His eyes were glossy, cheeks already flushed. “You’re driving me crazy, you know that?”
Sky slid a finger under his chin. “Right back at you, bad bad guy.”
Nani didn’t reply right away. He leaned in and kissed him. A crumpled kiss, still sleepy, but full. With dry lips and a wet heart.
When he pulled back, his expression turned serious.
“Before I fell asleep, I was thinking about what you said,” he murmured. “That you want to learn everything with me.”
Sky nodded. “I meant it.”
Nani took a breath. “Then be patient with me, okay? I don’t always understand what I’m feeling. But… I do feel it.”
Sky raised a hand and touched his face gently.
“I know. I feel it too.”
Another silence. Not uncomfortable. Just full.
Then, with a tenderness that barely seemed human, Sky leaned in and kissed him again.
A kiss that said you’re here, and so am I. We’re together, and that’s all that matters.
Nani completely relaxed. He lay on top of him, leg between his, arm across his chest. His face tucked back into Sky’s neck, where he loved to breathe. Where he felt safe.
Sky stroked his hair slowly. For once, without the urge to flee from bed and go run miles to train. For the first time, he felt still, in awe, in the right place.
And Sky thought: yes, this is all right.
Because if Nani was there with him, Sky can give it his all.