Work Text:
Phuwin was boiling. The heat had been relentless for days and the team and crew were running on the supplied ice cream popsicles that they kept offering for him as well. He’d denied himself the relief for various reasons. Regardless of the heat, being back at Maison Mystique felt weird. Phuwin had never reprised a role in this way before. Yes, he’d been Nuengdiao again for Our Skyy 2, but that had been fewer eps and there had been much longer between filming. He was much too used to returning the characters to their novels or their script. It was also the first time he returned to a role after having to recently seen his own performance in it, and he had a lot of thoughts about it. Spoke a lot with P’X, whose guidance was proving invaluable, once more, for both him and Pond.
Another thing that was new. Unusual. Was the ring on his finger. At the end of the day, it was just a prop. A part of the stylist set that they kept track of, the same way they kept track of which clothes he would be wearing in which scenes as Peach, so as to keep continuity. And it was funny, to see all their fans lose their shit about it every time they saw it, whether on a picture from the official show account or during his instagram live yesterday. Technically, it was no different than the necklace with the tabs that Peach would wear, or Khun Thee’s lapel broaches. But really, it was. Different. It was just the slightest bit loose on his finger, so it needed adjusting, he had a hard time not fiddling with it. Peach was his first married character. He’d never worn an engagement or wedding ring before, or anything of the sort. He remember when he first wore it for filming for the finale episode, and how strange and foreign it had felt at first. He rarely ever wore rings, outside of photoshoots. He was perfectly happy with his usual necklace. But now he’s wearing it for every scene. He feels it when he rubs his sweaty palms on peach’s trousers. His finger feels lacking when he hands it back to the team after wrap. It slides back on innocently every morning he turns up to set. These days, shooting so much on this location, squeezing as many scenes in around their packed schedule of overseas fancons and brand events, there’s not many hours of sleep between wrap and set call time. He’s wearing it more than he isn’t.
Pond had the matching pair. Much more simple, because of course it is, even if Thee’s the more ostentatious of the two character by an amount that’s simply laughable. Peach joked about it to P’X once, in between takes. He simply replied, “but that’s the point, Phuwin. It’s Thee’s ring for Peach, and Peach’s ring for Thee.” Phuwin had simply muttered, “Ah,” in response, feeling just a little stupid. He would totally have thought of that, if not for the schedules and the heat and his brain fully focused on retaining much difficult and emotional nuanced dialogue every day. Regardless, there was still a little corner of Phuwin’s brain that wondered if Pond felt the same about his own. It was a lot slimmer. Maybe it was lighter and not as noticeable. It seemed to fit him well, and there was no stone to get caught on fabric when they got changed.
Selfishly, Phuwin was glad he wasn’t the only one struggling to get into character. Pond had played at a dialled down Khun Thee for so many events and so many ads that he needed to return to his emotional extremes and volatility. In the best way. Pond shone as Khun Thee, and every time he thought about it, and how Pond was truly getting his flowers now, Phuwin couldn’t help the kernel of pride in his chest, sparkling like the diamond supposedly on his finger.
“Are you wasting away in the sun?”
Phuwin startled. Regardless of his shaded seat, he’d drifted so away in the humidity recollections that he hadn’t noticed the tread of P’Kian’s dressy shoes behind him. Phuwin snorted and turned his head to look up at Pond, now wearing more relaxed Khun Thee garb. “Family Suits, not Business Suits,” the stylists had called them when questioned by Pond.
“Nah, just needed a moment of quiet while they set up.”
“You sure you don’t want one of these?” Pond cracks a smile and holds up a still packaged but very tempting looking popsicle.
“Did they finally convince you to make an exception to your diet?” Phuwin’s voice couldn’t hide his surprise, he’d been so sure of Pond's unwavering commitment.
Pond chuckled in response and sat down next to Phuwin on the bench under the shading tree. He held out the ice cream consideringly. “I had actually thought we might share it, both get something nice but half the calories, and the crew could stop teasing us about it. But now I just realised practically that might be a little difficult.” There was light laughter in his voice, but he was clearly shy, not meeting his eyes and his ears were becoming redder than just the heat would induce.
Phuwin laughed in delight. “What? You don’t think we swap spit enough as it is?”
Pond looked into his eyes, sparkling in return with amusement. “As I said, I thought I had a good idea, but hadn’t really thought through on execution.”
Phuwin found himself shuffling closer and bumping his shoulder. “Listen, the logic was sound, you just got so excited about ice cream you forgot to think things through before you took action, as you sometimes do.”
Phuwin wasn’t an idiot, he could hear the fondness in his own voice. But so what, they were in a married couple bubble right now, and he knew Pond better than most on this earth, and he knew his fondness was welcomed.
Pond let out a mock despairing sigh, Khun Thee lingering in his stature as he leaned back on the bench, shoulders set and confident despite the seeming setback. “Well, it shouldn’t go to waste, and it would be weird to return with it now, so.” He turned towards Phuwin, plastic wrapped popsicle in right hand, and with teasing creases around his eyes, casually rested the frozen delight right on the skin of his neck, at his pulse point.
Phuwin gasped. “Fuck, Pond!” Shivers rushed down his nerves, sharp yet balming coolness seeping into the heat of his veins gradually. He tried to twist his neck and squirm away, but Pond had snuck his deceptively long and obviously strong left arm around his shoulders and kept him put.
Phuwin was giggling. “It’s an ice cream, not Khun Thee’s makeshift ice bag! This isn’t how you’re supposed to use it.”
“Well if we weren’t going to eat it, we might as well find new purpose for it.” Pond raised a maddening eyebrow. “Besides, my Mae always taught me to cool down my pulse points in the heat. I’m helping you out here.”
Phuwin sighed, but kept up a futile attempt to squirm away. No way in hell was he admitting it, but now that the shock was subsiding, it did feel nice. He could have moved off if he really wanted to. Or even said something. He knew Pond would respect it and let his arm slide away in a second if he did. And Pond knows Phuwin knows that.
“You’re ridiculous.” Phuwin says instead. Pond only hums in response and shifts the coolness-on-a-stick so it lies even flatter, is in touch with even more of his sensitive skin. Phuwin spares a vague thought to hoping it won’t leave redness for P’Bell to ask about or cover up, but mostly just focus on trying not to relax too hard into Pond’s embrace and the sweet relief on his neck.
But Phuwin allows himself a moment to breathe. To enjoy the quiet and the beauty of Maison Mystique’s gardens and the sparkle of sunlight through the green leaves dancing above him. Until he gets a new idea.
“Actually,” he says, and grasps Pond’s big hand holding the coolness against him. His fingers find Thee’s wedding band, but continue their way up to take the ice cream from Pond’s grasp, softening and loosing under his touch without issue. “I changed my mind.”
Phuwin crossed one leg over the other, now sitting like Pond, except mirrored, turned towards him. He unwraps the desert and touches it to his lips, sucks lightly, tongue tentatively seeking. Sweet cold vanilla and berry flavour blossom in his mouth and now all his strings are truly cut. It’s been so long since he had ice cream.
When his eyelids flicker back open, Pond is looking at him. His arm still feels safe around him, despite the heat. “Good?” Pond asks.
“Mmn,” Phuwin replies, unwilling to release his delicacy.
They rest, in silence, words superfluous between them. Phuwin enjoys the ice cream Pond brought for him and the breeze teasing the leaves above him. They simply smile at one another from time to time, Pond’s expressions melting between teasing and fond and content and intent, as they flicker over Phuwin’s face, darting from his eyes to the ice cream to the garden and back to Phuwin’s cold-covered lips.
When Phuwin’s about halfway done, he makes sure to use his tongue to catch any melting drops. “Pond?” He asks.
“Yea–” as Pond opens his mouth to reply, Phuwin shoves in what’s left of the ice cream. Then he cackles in delight at the startled shock on Pond’s face. Phuwin shoves it in just a little deeper, before he feels Pond’s hand come up to take over and he feels safe releasing it, without risking ice cream stains on their costumes.
As the shock abates, Pond gets a proper taste and hums. He takes it out with a soft pop, lips glistening. “It’s actually even better than I thought it would be.”
Phuwin grins at him. “Right? Couldn’t possibly keep it all to myself. Khun Thee is all about sharing his property with Peach anyway.”
Pond snorts at him and enjoys the ice cream until they’re both summoned back to set.
Later that afternoon, when filming has shifted to the bedroom set, curtains drawn, only skeleton crew present, Phuwin is sure he tastes the sweet vanilla and tender berries on Pond’s tongue. He doesn't want to get repetitive, but Peach smiles into the kiss again.