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The restaurant they had picked for the Domundi dinner party was cozy in a somewhat expensive way. The lighting was dim, the wooden tables were neatly polished, and warm golden lamps hung above them, making everything feel a little more intimate.
There was a soft mix of conversation, laughter, and glasses clinking around them, and by the time people started arriving, a long table had already been reserved in the back.
Tle got there early, mostly out of habit.
Normally, FirstOne would insist on going together, but this time he had told Tle he would meet him there instead, which was not unusual, really, just uncommon enough that Tle noticed.
He had gotten so used to arriving with him to these kind of events that it made the start of the night feel a little quieter than usual.
He greeted the staff, exchanged quick hellos as people came in, and then fell into conversation with Keng from where he sat at the edge of the table.
His arm rested over the back of the chair beside him, casually.
Anyone paying attention could tell he was saving it for a certain someone.
That certain someone being FirstOne, obviously.
Keng was telling a story about a schedule disaster. He was explaining it with so much detail that it was honestly impressive that he remembered it all.
Something about the call time being wrong, someone’s van going to the wrong place, staff scrambling, everybody acting calm when they were definitely not calm.
The others listened and reacted, half amused and half horrified, throwing in little comments as Keng kept going.
Tle listened too, letting out a laugh and shaking his head when Keng finally got to the worst part.
Then, he noticed the shift.
He noticed their eyes lift past him, like something behind him had suddenly become much more interesting.
Or rather, someone had.
“FirstOne!” Namping waved, calling him over.
Tle glanced back over his shoulder, automatically.
Oh.
He sucked in a slow breath, as he took FirstOne in.
He didn’t mean to.
He really didn’t.
But FirstOne was wearing a soft, cream-colored romper that sat flush against his skin and tied at the waist. The color of the outfit made FirstOne’s skin look even softer, warmer and slightly peach-toned under the lamps. The top was open at the collar in a way that looked deliberate and the fabric was thin enough for anyone to question FirstOne’s decision immediately.
Not to mention,
The amount of bare skin on display was honestly a little ridiculous.
Tle’s first thought was, aren’t you freezing? and his second thought was… something he refused to follow. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to cover him up or just keep staring.
The outfit wasn’t scandalous, exactly.
But it was definitely not appropriate for a company dinner.
At least that’s what Tle thought.
FirstOne headed straight for them, weaving between chairs and lifting his hands into a wai as he greeted everyone with a bright smile.
Somehow, that only made it worse for Tle.
Namping grinned. “You’re late.”
“I’m not late,” FirstOne said automatically, his eyes going to Tle first, quick and familiar, like he was checking if Tle was annoyed.
He wasn’t.
Tle’s gaze dropped without permission, just once, and then back up.
Then, like he caught himself, he smoothed his expression and let a familiar smile stretch across his lips.
FirstOne automatically smiled back at him, not pointing out the way Tle’s eyes lingered.
He’d never say it out loud, but he has always liked being noticed by Tle in that specific way.
He didn’t know why.
But he liked that kind of attention from him.
The kind where Tle looked at him like he couldn’t help it.
Like FirstOne had pulled it out of him without even trying.
It made FirstOne feel warm and stupid, like he could get away with wanting things as long as nobody named them.
They held each other’s gaze for half a second.
Then, Tle pulled the chair out for him to sit, a hint of amusement and a little playfulness in his voice. “Sit. Before I make you put my jacket on.” He said, jokingly.
FirstOne slid into the seat with a breathy laugh, smoothing the fabric at his waist as he settled in.
Across the table, Namping leaned in with a grin that was way too sharp to be innocent. “Cute outfit,” he said in a sing-song tone.
FirstOne smiled, eyes flicking briefly toward Tle again, checking his reaction too.
Tle didn’t look up.
His attention was on the menu but the faint glint of amusement in his eyes made it clear he was listening.
“Why do you look like you’re going to a beach cafe?” Keng glanced at FirstOne, calmly lifting his fork a little.
Namping laughed, lightly smacking Keng.“Beach cafe? Phi, that’s so specific.”
“It is specific,” Keng said, glancing at Namping with complete seriousness. “He looks like he’s about to order coconut juice and post a blurry sunset pic.”
FirstOne let out a laugh, shoulders curling in a little.
The table dissolved into chatter after that, and FirstOne settled more fully into his chair.
He could feel the cool air from the restaurant brushing his legs as he reached for the menu and opened it.
He glanced over at Tle.
Tle was deep in conversation with Thomas, his body turned slightly toward him.
FirstOne pressed his lips together, trying not to seem a bit bothered.
Still..
He found himself thinking, if he could just get his attention for a second…
He shifted slightly under the table and let his knee bump against Tle’s, “accidentally”.
Tle paused for the smallest beat mid-conversation. His eyes stayed on Thomas while he finished listening, but his attention had shifted.
His knee nudged back once and FirstOne’s stomach curled, satisfied in a way that felt questionable.
Tle finished whatever Thomas was saying with a calm hum and a short reply, still polite, still present like Tle always is and when he finally turned back, his gaze flicked to FirstOne.
FirstOne didn’t look up right away.
He flipped the menu page slowly, dragging it out on purpose, as if he hadn’t been waiting.
Then, he leaned in a little closer to Tle. “What are we ordering, Phi?” He asked, voice quiet and still looking at the menu.
Tle leaned in just slightly, eyes dropping to the menu in FirstOne’s hands. “What do you want?” Tle asked, glancing at FirstOne.
FirstOne pretended to think, eyes moving over the menu as if he was actually considering all the options.
Really, he was stalling because he liked having Tle leaned in like this, close enough that their shoulders touched.
“I don’t know,” he said finally. “You pick.”
Tle let out a quiet huff, having heard that line a hundred times.
FirstOne’s smile immediately turned a little smug. “You always know what to pick.”
Tle glanced at him, unimpressed, but a small smile tugged at his lips. He tapped the menu lightly with his finger. “Okay. We’ll get something to share.”
“Okay,” FirstOne nodded, immediately pleased like that was the exact answer he was waiting for.
Tle scanned the menu for a second longer, then started listing things in a calm voice, being very practical about it. FirstOne nodded along, adding a quick “that” or “not that,” but mostly just listening.
After they ordered, the atmosphere lightened and people leaned back in their chairs, relaxing now that food was on the way.
It was obvious that everyone was having a good time.
But,
Even with the table crowded and the conversations going, FirstOne kept gravitating toward Tle.
He couldn’t help it. Even the simple movement of shifting in his chair or glancing around the table was always angled toward Tle.
It was second nature.
When the food finally arrived, everyone started reaching at once.
Not rudely, just familiarly. The kind of thing that always happened when there were too many people.
“That was fast,” Namping said, shifting his drink before a plate could knock into it.
Tle picked up an extra small plate and set it in front of FirstOne without saying anything.
Again, something warm pulled at FirstOne’s chest.
Before he could let the feeling linger, he reached over and served himself from a few plates.
The Turkey Meatballs looked delicious. They were dressed with a gingery curry that instantly had FirstOne’s mouth watering.
As he took a bite, he made a small satisfied sound.
He chewed, swallowed, then leaned a fraction closer to Tle again, “This is good,” he said in a voice low enough to stay between them.
Tle glanced over at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He gave a hum as he reached for his water. “You like it?”
FirstOne kept eating, giving a quick, “Mhm.”
Tle took a sip, eyes still on FirstOne for way longer than necessary, watching the way his happy mood amplified when he had good food.
FirstOne glanced over almost absentmindedly, still half focused on his plate.
The second their eyes met, FirstOne’s smile came automatically.
Tle couldn't help but smile wider, his mouth curving up instinctively at the sight of FirstOne's dimpled smile.
There was something about the way FirstOne smiled at him specifically that made Tle’s chest pull tight.
Tle had seen it too many times by now to still be affected by it like this.
Yet, he still was, every single time.
Tle looked away first, reaching for his own fork.
He could feel the way FirstOne was still looking at him like he was waiting to see if he would look back again.
He didn’t.
Not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t trust himself to look back and be totally normal.
Across the table, the conversation had already gone off the rails.
“I’m telling you, it counts,” Nat said, leaning forward.
“It does not count,” Nunew shot back immediately.
Namping pointed between them, already halfway laughing. “No, wait, let him explain, because I want to hear how he’s going to make this sound reasonable.”
Nat looked personally offended. “It is reasonable.”
“It’s not,” Nunew said. “You can’t say you ‘cooked’ if all you did was put frozen food in an air fryer.”
“That is literally cooking.”
“That is heating something up,” Nunew corrected.
“Same thing.”
“Also,” Nat added, “none of you can judge me because I know for a fact Namping burns garlic bread.”
Tle sat there, grinning, one sleeve pushed slightly up his forearm while FirstOne laughed too, leaning forward with his elbows resting on the table.
Beneath the table, FirstOne shifted, crossing his leg and letting his foot brush against Tle's calf.
It was natural enough to pass as accidental, but not subtle enough to be completely innocent.
He let it linger for a bit, testing if Tle would notice, or worse, if he’d notice and do nothing at all.
Tle only adjusted his leg without moving it away and glanced down at FirstOne.
He looked… calm like he always did, but the small flicker of his eyes to where FirstOne was pressing his foot against him, gave him away.
“P’tle, what’s that?” FirstOne asked, leaning in and pointing at a dish next to Thomas.
Tle followed FirstOne's finger, then leaned in bringing a hand up near his mouth to explain.
FirstOne listened intently.
He was only half-listening, if he was being honest.
He was a little distracted.
He could smell Tle's deodorant and cologne, and the familiar scent made him want to lean in even more.
He really only zoned back in when Tle’s gaze slid to his again.
“Do you want to try it?” Tle asked, watching FirstOne's reaction closely.
Beside them, Namping’s voice cut through. “Why does it feel like you two are having a completely different dinner from the rest of us?”
FirstOne’s laugh came out soft and sheepish, the way it always did when people started teasing them.
Then, he glanced at Tle out of habit, silently waiting for him to respond.
He usually did when someone put them on the spot.
Tle gave a quiet laugh and a small shake of his head. “We’re talking about the food,” he said, eyes crinkling.
They drifted back into the group conversation and Tle reached over to serve FirstOne a portion of the dish he’d been asking about.
“Try it while it’s hot,” Tle said, before turning his attention back toward whatever Keng was saying.
-
Throughout the dinner, Tle kept sneaking glances at him. It wasn’t obvious but FirstOne noticed.
The idea of Tle being unable to keep his eyes off him, did something to his stomach.
At some point, Tle just… watched him.
He took in the way FirstOne’s lashes lowered when he chewed, like he was concentrating on the taste. The way he pressed his lips together like he could hold a smile in. Even his hands, were always moving a little. It kept pulling Tle’s attention back, like FirstOne was the most interesting thing at the table.
Then, his eyes moved lower, briefly taking in the open collar, the fabric, the frankly unreasonable amount of skin, it all added up to something his brain kept circling back to.
Tle exhaled under his breath, reaching back to let his arm rest across the back of FirstOne’s chair as he turned his attention back to the conversation again.
At first, FirstOne didn’t think much of it.
Not until Tle’s fingers gently touched his shoulder, tracing small patterns against the fabric.
It was such a mindless gesture that felt more intimate than it should have and FirstOne tried his best to ignore the way his heart rate picked up at it.
He took a sip of his water, attention divided now.
Tle kept talking, slipping another comment into the conversation while FirstOne shifted in his chair, a bit restlessly.
The movement must have caught Tle’s attention, because Tle’s gaze slid over. They were close enough that FirstOne had to tip his chin up just slightly to meet Tle’s eyes.
Tle swallowed when he registered the look FirstOne was giving him.
It was the look of someone who wanted something but didn’t quite have the nerve to say it out loud.
His eyes were rounder, open and a little helpless. It was the same expression that always made Tle’s chest warm.
“Are you cold?” He asked, his fingers still tracing slow lazy circles on FirstOne’s shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze.
FirstOne shook his head.
“I’m fine,” He murmured, giving Tle a shy smile that slipped out just because he was too close, too attentive, and too good at making him feel like he was the most interesting person in the room.
Tle hummed softly in acknowledgment.
He watched FirstOne for a few seconds longer before finally looking away.
The others kept talking, voices louder than before now that everyone had eaten enough.
FirstOne subtly inched a little closer to Tle, still craving for more contact.
No matter how much he tried, FirstOne just couldn’t sit still.
Tle noticed, and his mind jumped back over the last hour. The lingering looks. The way FirstOne kept angling toward him. The little “accidents” that weren’t really accidents.
Tle didn’t know what to do with all of it except the one thing his body was already doing.
His hand slid from FirstOne’s shoulder to the open collar, fingers finding the bare skin and settling into the space between his shoulder and neck. They pressed at the small bundle of nerves there, gently.
FirstOne wanted to die.
The touch so casual but the effect it had on him was anything but.
Tle kept his face angled toward the conversation.
“Okay,” Namping announced, tapping the page with his finger. “Dessert. We’re getting dessert.”
Nunew leaned in immediately. “I want something sweet. Like, really sweet.”
Nat squinted at the menu. “There’s a lava cake.”
Nunew gasped. “Lava cake.”
Thomas lifted his brows. “You’re going to order lava cake after all that?”
“Yes,” Nunew said firmly. “Don’t judge me.”
FirstOne grinned in response.
He subtly leaned into the pressure when Tle’s thumb pressed one slow circle into a sensitive spot.
“What do you want for dessert?” Tle asked, the pressure of his fingers shifting just slightly, a touch firmer and more certain.
FirstOne blinked, like he’d been pulled back into the room. He picked up the menu in front of him and flipped it open, scanning the page.
“Um,” FirstOne said, dragging it out as he read. “They have.. lava cake. And tiramisu. And mango sticky rice.”
His eyes kept flicking up, checking Tle’s face for a reaction, for an opinion, for anything that would tell him what Tle was thinking.
Tle’s eyes crinkled immediately, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. They stayed there for a beat before his tongue caught his bottom lip absently, like he was deciding something.
Then, he reluctantly pulled his hand away from where it was near FirstOne’s collarbone and leaned in to look at the menu in his hands.
“What about Tiramisu?” Tle murmured, glancing up at FirstOne.
For the rest of the night, it stayed like that.
Easy. Familiar. A little too intimate.
It was the closeness they’d always had, technically. The kind everyone joked about and laughed at.
Which was fine.
More than fine, really..
Because as long as nobody named it, it could stay simple.
It could stay just them being them.