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Phuwin is used to being the one in charge. The guy who always has a plan, in school, at work, in life. People around him thinks this just comes naturally to Phuwin since he really is that smart, that capable, and can be relied upon because he seems to always know just what to do. Phuwin doesn’t try to be in control. Somewhere along the way, he assumes if something needs doing and if someone has to do it, he should be the one.
Somehow, this has blurred into how he is in relationships as well. It doesn’t actually occur to him until the SF friends screening event where it’s made blatant when the fans vote that he is the boss of the "house" - the Pond Phuwin Permpoon family. Mind you, it’s an overwhelming majority (which includes Pond) who answers that way, even his Mae and Minnie publicly acknowledge the result.
While it’s kind of funny and cute, it makes Phuwin reflect about the way he really does seem to take the lead with Pond, and how Pond allows him to. He starts to worry that this may be seen in a bad light - as some kind of power play, another form of control. What if people think of him as bossy, controlling or overbearing? What if Pond thinks that of him?
Phuwin can choose to ignore others’ opinion of him, but he can’t with Pond, not with what’s going on between them.
They aren’t dating. Not officially. But they aren’t not dating either. They spend a lot of time together, too much time. Not just for work, but outside work. Meals. Car rides. Sleepovers. Texts every other hour. Video calls once they are apart. Likes, dislikes remembered. Face ID set up on each other’s phone. Playlists shared. “Accidental” touch lingering too long. Their connection has always been magnetic but undefined. Whatever this thing with Pond is, it’s exactly what makes Phuwin care, more than he likes to admit, about Pond’s opinion of him and their relationship.
After the SF event, Phuwin feels it. The shift. The way Pond looks at him with something unreadable. The slight pause when Phuwin makes decisions for both of them - what time, whose place, who drives, where to eat, what to wear etc. It makes him wonder if Pond actually doesn’t like how he takes charge.
It begins to get under his skin.
Like now, when they sit across each other in a casual shabu-shabu restaurant, and the waitress passes them the menu, Phuwin automatically reaches for it.
“I’ll order for us…” Phuwin says, albeit a bit hesitant.
Pond smiles, “You always do.”
There is no bite in his voice. Just observation. But Phuwin tenses anyway.
He laughs, yet it comes out thin. “I know. I’m being bossy again.”
Phuwin immediately regrets letting those words slip out of his mouth. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to hear what Pond thinks of it.
Pond tilts his head, watching Phuwin like he is trying to decide if he should speak his mind. Phuwin looks away, nervous, keeping his eyes on the menu as he flips the pages.
“You’re not bossy,” Pond finally says when Phuwin is on the last page of the menu, “You just care.”
“What?” Phuwin gives Pond a quick glance before he goes back to pretending to be busy with deciding what they should order.
“You care,” Pond repeats, his voice low, calm, “You take charge because you want things to go well. You want to make sure I’m comfortable, that I’m being looked after. That’s not controlling, Phuwin. That’s you showing me that you…” love me.
Pond doesn’t say those two words out loud. He leaves it hanging, but the moment Phuwin looks up and their eyes meet, Phuwin instantly knows what Pond means to say. The look in his eyes says it all, and more.
The truth is, after the SF event, Pond notices the way Phuwin begins second-guessing himself when decisions are made. How his gaze drops when he gets teased for being the one who wears the pants in their relationship. On the surface, Phuwin doesn’t change the way they interact, but Pond can feel the tension, like Phuwin’s waiting for him to pull away, to call him out on being the dominant, controlling one. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Pond has never felt pushed by Phuwin. In fact, he has always admired how Phuwin shows up, gets things done, and handles life with this magnetic certainty. He loves that Phuwin cares for him in the special way he does. God knows if anyone else gets this same special treatment from Phuwin, Pond would be ready to murder. But let’s not go there. For now, Pond just wants Phuwin to know that he would never change anything about him.
So he reaches out, covering Phuwin’s hand with his (because this is all he can afford to do in a public place).
“I like it,” Pond says in a volume only Phuwin can hear, “I like… you. All of it. All of you.”
Phuwin blinks. He doesn’t speak. He just nods, slowly, like someone who's been carrying weight and only just realising they can set it down. It's ridiculous how much relief Phuwin suddenly feels - how badly he needed Pond to say exactly that. Warmth floods him so fast he can feel it all the way to his fingertips.
It takes him a moment before he turns his hand over so their palms press together. In that quiet, undefined space between them, something shifts. Not into a full confession. But into something real. Something enough. Enough for all of Phuwin’s worries to disappear. Enough to remind Phuwin that Pond will always be his safe space.
“You always know what to say... thank you.” Phuwin smiles. Not a practiced one. Not a polite one.
A real one.
Pond returns a quiet smile, one of those easy, frustratingly patient ones.
“Don’t be silly.” Pond squeezes Phuwin’s hand, “I should be the one thanking you… for always looking out for me.”
Phuwin pulls his hand away, feeling slightly flushed from Pond’s warm words.
“You’re just too nice for your own good.” Phuwin murmurs.
“You love that about me.” Pond smirks.
Phuwin rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny it.
“This is exactly why I have to take care of you.” Phuwin sighs before he mutters under his breath, “And why I have to be good at saving money.”
“Huh?” Pond catches what Phuwin says but it leaves him confused.
“Well, at least one of us has to be planning for our future…” Phuwin answers like he is talking about the weather.
It hits Pond like a soft gust of wind that still somehow knocks the air out of his lungs. His mouth stays open for a second too long as his eyes lock onto Phuwin’s, searching for a sign he was only teasing, but what he finds instead is sincerity - shy but steady.
A grin tugs at Pond’s lips before he can stop it, and his ears betray him by turning a very traitorous shade of pink.
“Oh.” Pond says, way too casually, voice doing a little crack of excitement, “Our future huh?”
Pond attempts to play it cool, but his eyes give him away — sparkling just a little too brightly, lingering on Phuwin a little too long.
“Mmm...” Phuwin confirms, eyes narrowing at the stupid smile on Pond’s face.
Pond’s heart does a ridiculous somersault in his chest. A breathy laugh escapes before he can stop it.
“Phuwin…” Pond starts, grinning like someone who has just been handed a secret he never thought he would get to hear, “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
“As happy as tempura would make you?” Phuwin jokes.
“As happy as you ordering tempura for me would.” Pond replies earnestly.
Phuwin stills for a beat. A half-smile tugs at his mouth that he quickly smooths out with a cough.
“Aww, too bad there’s no tempura on the menu here.”
Pond exhales sharply through his nose, lips twitching before he shakes his head and laughs helplessly.
“What?” Phuwin keeps his voice neutral when he responds.
“Nothing…” Pond can only look at Phuwin with that same defeated smile, “Go ahead and decide what to order. You always make the best decisions.”
Phuwin knows Pond isn’t just referring to the meal. He’s talking about everything in life. He's telling him - I trust you.
Above the table, they’re the picture of casual conversation. Beneath the table, Pond’s foot brushes lightly against Phuwin’s ankle. Deliberate.
Phuwin’s foot shifts, nudging Pond's in return. Pond sees the sly little smirk tugging at the corner of Phuwin’s mouth. He raises an eyebrow but says nothing.
So Phuwin stretches his leg forward, foot skimming gently up Pond’s shin, before pulling away, smug.
Pond manages to pin Phuwin’s foot in place with his, warm and steady. Phuwin doesn’t pull away. Neither does Pond. It’s playful and teasing, a secret known only to them.
And just like that, the air between them changes.
Pond smiles, the kind that says, ‘I never had a chance against you.’
Because he doesn’t. Not against Phuwin.
Honestly, he would gladly let Phuwin be the boss of him any day.