Chapter Text
After talking to Jamie and confirming that Duang and Qin were already at their usual restaurant, Pae tossed his phone onto the bed and started getting ready.
He had barely finished fixing his hair when his phone buzzed again.
Pae picked it up, already guessing who it was.
Tong.
Qin’s best friend… and the person Pae had been secretly dating for almost two months.
The message read:
*Where are Qin and Duang?*
Pae raised an eyebrow and typed back.
*Restaurant. Why?*
The reply came almost immediately.
*Kim and I are going to follow them. We need entertainment tonight.*
Pae snorted softly.
*You’re unbelievable.*
*So? Where exactly?*
Pae sent the location, shaking his head as he locked his phone. Knowing Tong, “entertainment” definitely meant annoying Qin and Duang as much as possible.
Half an hour later, Pae and Jamie arrived at the restaurant.
It was a small place they all visited often—warm lights, the quiet hum of conversations, and the familiar smell of grilled food drifting through the air.
Jamie glanced around. “They’re probably already inside.”
“Obviously,” Pae replied.
Just as they stepped closer to the entrance, two figures rushed up behind them.
Pae turned.
Tong and Kim looked like they had just escaped a marathon.
Tong bent slightly, hands on his knees, catching his breath. “You—could’ve—picked somewhere closer.”
“You chose to run,” Pae said calmly.
Kim pointed accusingly at him. “You said *half an hour.*”
“And it *has* been half an hour.”
Tong finally straightened up and met Pae’s eyes.
Then he winked.
Pae sighed immediately and rolled his eyes, pretending nothing had happened.
Jamie noticed and looked between them suspiciously. “Why did he wink at you?”
“No idea,” Pae replied flatly.
Tong, meanwhile, was already walking toward the entrance.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go ruin their date.”
---
Inside the restaurant, Duang and Qin were already sitting at their usual table.
Qin noticed them first.
“…Oh no.”
Duang looked up. “What?”
Before Qin could answer, Tong dropped dramatically into the empty chair across from them.
“Surprise!”
Kim slid into the seat beside him. Jamie sat down next to Pae.
Qin stared at them in disbelief. “Why are you here?”
Tong placed a hand over his heart. “We came to support your relationship.”
“No you didn’t.”
Pae leaned back in his chair. “We absolutely did.”
Duang looked between them, confused but amused. “Support how?”
Tong gestured toward Duang. “By reminding him how lucky he is.”
Kim nodded seriously. “Exactly.”
Pae scoffed.
Jamie immediately joined him.
“Excuse me,” Pae said, pointing Qin. “*He’s* the lucky one.”
Tong gasped dramatically. “You did not just say that.”
“I absolutely did.”
Kim shook his head. “Qin is literally the best boyfriend in existence.”
Jamie leaned forward. “Duang is right there.”
“And?”
“And he’s the only one that can keep up with Qin.”
Tong slammed his hand lightly on the table. “This is slander.”
Qin rubbed his temples. “I hate all of you.”
Meanwhile Pae had started silently mocking Tong.
Every time Tong spoke, Pae exaggerated his expressions—rolling his eyes, mimicking his dramatic tone, even making small noises under his breath.
Tong noticed.
Mid-sentence, he paused and looked at Pae.
Pae immediately made another face.
Tong stared at him for a second… then shook his head, smiling in disbelief before continuing his argument like nothing had happened.
Jamie nearly choked trying not to laugh.
The “debate” continued for several minutes.
Tong and Kim passionately defended Qin.
Pae and Jamie defended Duang just as strongly.
Finally, everyone turned toward the only person who hadn’t chosen a side.
Duang.
“Well?” Tong asked. “Be honest.”
Duang looked at Qin beside him.
Then he smiled.
“I mean… Qin really is amazing.”
The table fell silent.
Jamie slowly leaned back in his chair.
Pae dragged a hand down his face.
Tong and Kim immediately cheered.
“Yes!”
“We win!”
Pae pointed at Duang in disbelief.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Jamie sighed dramatically.
“Hopeless.”
“Completely hopeless.”
Duang blinked at them. “What?”
“Stupid Duang,” Pae and Jamie said at the same time.
Qin burst out laughing.
When they finally left the restaurant, the group split up.
Tong and Kim went one way.
Pae and Jamie another.
Or at least… that’s what everyone believed.
Less than ten minutes later, Pae and Tong were walking side by side down a quieter street.
Their hands loosely intertwined.
“Your acting was terrible tonight,” Tong said.
Pae glanced at him. “I wasn’t acting.”
Tong laughed.
“Sure.”
Eventually they reached Tong’s house.
Their routine was almost automatic at this point.
Pae headed straight for the shower.
Tong went into the kitchen.
By the time Pae came out of the bathroom, clean and smelling faintly of soap, the sound of cooking filled the apartment.
“I’m done,” Pae announced.
Tong turned slightly and kissed his cheek in greeting before grabbing a towel.
“My turn.”
“Don’t burn anything while I’m gone,” he called over his shoulder.
Pae glanced up from where he was leaning against the counter.
“You’re the one cooking.”
“Exactly. Which means you’re capable of ruining it.”
Pae rolled his eyes. “Go shower.”
Tong laughed softly and disappeared into the bathroom.
A moment later the sound of running water filled the apartment.
Pae stayed in the kitchen for a few seconds, listening absentmindedly. Then he pushed himself off the counter and started helping with dinner.
The pans Tong had used were still warm on the stove. Pae moved them to the sink, turning on the water as he started washing them.
From the bathroom came faint humming.
Pae paused for a second.
Then he snorted quietly.
“Unbelievable.”
Tong’s voice drifted faintly through the door, clearly singing now.
Pae shook his head but couldn’t quite hide the small smile that appeared for a moment before he focused back on the dishes.
By the time Tong finished showering, the table was already set.
Two plates. Chopsticks. Bowls of food placed neatly in the middle.
Tong stepped out of the bathroom, still drying his hair with the towel. His hair was damp and slightly messy, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up loosely.
He stopped when he saw the table.
“…You set everything up?”
Pae was standing at the sink, washing the last pan.
“You cooked,” Pae replied without turning around. “It’s only fair.”
Tong watched him for a second before walking into the kitchen.
“Wow,” he said dramatically. “You’re being nice today.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
Tong chuckled and stepped closer.
Pae was still focused on rinsing the pan when he suddenly felt arms wrap lightly around his waist from behind.
Tong rested his chin briefly against his shoulder.
“Done showering,” he announced.
“I can see that.”
Tong let go and stepped beside him.
His hair was still slightly wet, and a drop of water slid down the side of his neck.
Without thinking much about it, Tong leaned toward him.
He had done it plenty of times before—quick, casual affection.
A simple kiss on the cheek.
But just as Tong leaned in—
Pae turned his head.
And the kiss landed on his lips.
Tong froze.
It had only lasted a second.
Barely long enough to register what had happened.
But it had happened.
Pae seemed just as startled. His hands were still resting on the edge of the sink, damp from washing the pans, and he hadn’t moved since the moment their lips touched.
Slowly, Tong pulled back.
“…That wasn’t my cheek.”
Pae blinked, clearly processing the same realization.
For once, he had nothing sarcastic ready to say.
“No,” he admitted quietly.
A strange silence filled the kitchen.
Tong rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly very aware of how close they were standing.
“I was aiming for your cheek,” he muttered.
“I know.”
Another pause.
Pae finally turned to face him fully.
His expression was calm, but the tips of his ears were slightly red.
“You missed.”
Tong gave him a look.
“I didn’t miss,” he said.
“You moved.”
Pae opened his mouth to deny it… then stopped.
Because he *had* moved.
Not intentionally—at least he didn’t think it had been intentional—but he had turned his head right at that exact moment.
They both seemed to realize the same thing at the same time.
“Oh.”
Tong let out a small, awkward laugh.
“So that was…”
“Our first kiss,” Pae finished.
Neither of them had planned it like that.
Tong glanced at him again, uncertain.
“…Does that count?”
Pae thought about it for a moment.
Then he shrugged slightly.
“Technically.”
Tong groaned softly.
“That’s the most unromantic answer you could give.”
“You asked.”
Tong leaned back against the counter, glancing at the floor for a second before looking back up at him.
“…Do you want a redo?”
The question hung in the air between them.
Pae raised an eyebrow.
“A redo?”
Tong shrugged, suddenly looking a little nervous.
“You know. One that we actually mean.”
For once, Pae didn’t reply immediately.
Instead, he stepped closer.
Close enough that Tong had to tilt his head up slightly to meet his gaze.
“You’re the one who messed up the first one,” Pae said quietly.
Tong scoffed.
“You turned your—”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Because Pae leaned in.
For a moment after the kiss, neither of them moved.
Tong was still leaning slightly forward, like he hadn’t fully processed that Pae had actually closed the distance this time.
Pae stepped back first.
Not far—just enough to break the moment.
Tong blinked a couple times, then let out a quiet laugh under his breath.
"...Okay."
Pae raised an eyebrow.
"Okay?"
Tong nodded slowly, still looking a little stunned.
"Yeah. Okay."
Pae turned back toward the sink, grabbing the towel again like nothing had happened.
Except his ears were still red.
Tong noticed.
He pushed himself off the counter and walked to the table, pulling out a chair.
"So,"
he said after a moment, trying to sound casual
"does this mean we can finally eat before everything gets cold?"
Pae glanced over his shoulder.
"You’re the one who disappeared into the bathroom forever."
"I was showering."
"You were singing."
Tong immediately pointed a finger at him.
"You said you wouldn't bring that up."
Pae smirked slightly.
"I didn’t promise anything."
Tong rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the small smile forming on his face. He sat down and grabbed his chopsticks.
"You're lucky I cooked."
Pae dried his hands and finally joined him at the table. For a few minutes they just ate quietly.
Not uncomfortable silence exactly—just the kind that comes when both people are thinking about the same thing but neither is sure how to bring it up again.
Tong was the one who cracked first.
"...So."
Pae didn’t look up.
"So."
Tong poked at his food.
"You kissed me."
"You asked for a redo."
"That doesn't mean I expected you to actually do it."
Pae finally glanced at him.
"You seemed disappointed with the first one."
Tong's face immediately warmed.
"I was not disappointed."
"You literally called it unromantic."
"Because it was!"
Pae huffed softly, looking amused.
Tong stared at him for a moment longer before looking down at his plate again.
"...It was better the second time."
The words slipped out quieter than he expected.
Pae paused mid-bite.
Then he nodded once.
"Yeah."
Tong looked up again, surprised by how easily he agreed.
"You think so?"
Pae shrugged.
"We didn’t bump noses this time."
Tong laughed. A real one this time. The tension from earlier finally melting away.
After a moment he leaned his elbow on the table, studying Pae thoughtfully.
"You know," Tong said slowly, "for someone who's been dating me for almost two months…"
Pae looked up.
"...you're surprisingly calm about your first kiss."
Pae held his gaze for a second.
Then, very casually, he reached across the table and flicked Tong lightly on the forehead. Tong jerked back.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"So you stop talking."
Tong rubbed his forehead, glaring at him. But a second later he was smiling again.
And under the table, his foot nudged lightly against Pae’s. Pae didn’t move it away.