Archive of Our Own

“P'Por... please. Just one more chance.” Teetee dropped to his knees, clutching the hem of Por's shirt as tears streamed down his face. “That's all I need. Please... I can't live without you.”

He would do anything to get Por back. Anything.

Por stared down at him, guilt twisting painfully in his chest.

“Tee... please don't do this.” He tried to help him up, but Teetee refused to move. “It's late, and people are watching.”

This had become almost  a routine. Nearly every day for the past three weeks, Teetee would wait outside Por's apartment, his workplace, or anywhere he knew Por would be. Every time, he begged. Every time, Por's heart broke a little more.

But his answer never changed.This wasn't something love alone could fix.

“P’Por... please.” Teetee tightened his grip. “I'll change. I'll do whatever you want. I'll never make you upset again. Please don't leave me.”

When Teetee still wouldn't let go, Por instinctively shoved him away.Harder than he intended.Teetee stumbled backward, losing his balance before landing on the pavement.The silence that followed felt deafening.

Por froze.

His own eyes widened.

“Tee...” He immediately took a step forward before stopping himself. “I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you that hard.”

His voice trembled.

“But... please. Just leave.” 

Those two words echoed in Teetee's head.

Just leave.

He had heard them countless times over the past three weeks. They never got any easier. Things weren't supposed to end like this. Their life had been perfect. Or at least, that's what Teetee believed. Then Por was offered a job overseas. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Teetee hated it.

No, he hated the idea of it.

Por insisted they could make long distance work. Plenty of couples did, but Teetee couldn't understand why they had to. Why did Por have to leave? He didn't need the job, Teetee could take care of him. He could earn enough for both of them, cook for him, clean for him. Give him everything he could ever want. If Por asked for the moon, Teetee would've found a way to bring it down for him.

So why...

Why wasn't he enough?

From that moment on, something between them began to crack. Every conversation became another argument. Por kept talking about the future he wanted overseas. Teetee kept asking him to stay. Neither of them listened anymore. The laughter that used to fill their apartment disappeared. The warmth between them slowly faded.

Until one night, after another exhausting fight…

“Let’s break up.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Teetee had long since lost count of how many drinks he'd had. He didn't care.He welcomed the burn of the whiskey as it slid down his throat. At least that kind of pain made sense, it was easier to blame the alcohol than the ache sitting stubbornly in his chest.

Another glass. Then another.

"Bro, that's enough." North reached across the table and pulled the glass from Teetee's hand before he could take another sip.

Teetee frowned, immediately reaching for it.

"No..." he mumbled, his words slurred together. "Give it back. I just wanna drink."

North let out a tired sigh, holding the glass just out of reach. "You've been saying that for the past two hours."

"So?"

North's grip on the glass loosened slightly as he looked at his friend.

He'd never seen Teetee like this. Three weeks ago, Teetee had been the loudest person in the room, always laughing, always dragging everyone into whatever ridiculous idea had popped into his head. Now he barely looked alive. The breakup had hollowed him out.

North wanted to help. He really did. But no matter what he said, Teetee always circled back to Por. Every conversation. Every thought. Every drink. It always ended with Por.

North watched Teetee quietly for a moment before letting out a sigh. His friend hadn't stopped drinking since they arrived, and judging by the number of empty glasses scattered across the table, he'd already lost count.

"...Tee."

"Hm?"

"Have you ever heard of the One Wish Willow?"

Teetee frowned and looked up at him, confusion written all over his face. "The what?"

"The One Wish Willow," North repeated. "It's been all over social media lately. People say if you snap one in half while making a wish... it'll come true."

A scoff escaped Teetee's lips as he leaned back in his chair.

"You actually believe in stuff like that, North?"

North gave a small shrug.

"Not really."

He wasn't the type to believe in urban legends or miracle wishes. If someone had told him about it a month ago, he probably would've laughed and scrolled right past it.

But this wasn't about him.

It was about Teetee.

For three weeks, North had watched his best friend slowly fall apart. He'd tried talking some sense into him, dragging him out of the house, introducing him to new people, even sitting beside him in silence whenever words failed. Nothing worked.

Every day ended the same.

Maybe the willow was fake.

Maybe it was nothing more than another ridiculous story people spread online.

But if it gave Teetee even a sliver of hope or helped him finally accept that there was nothing left to hold onto. Then North was willing to try.

"If it doesn't work," North said quietly, "then at least you'll know you've tried everything."

Teetee lowered his gaze to the amber liquid swirling in his glass.

Everything.

Hadn't he already?

----------------------

Teetee's head pounded the moment he opened his eyes. He groaned and buried his face back into the pillow, hoping the headache would disappear if he ignored it long enough. It didn't.

The memories of last night were hazy. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten home, but he was willing to bet North had dragged him back to his condo again.

Slowly, he forced himself out of bed.

The apartment was a disaster.

Empty bottles littered the coffee table. Clothes were scattered across the floor, clean laundry mixed with dirty until he couldn't tell one from the other. Takeout containers sat forgotten on the kitchen counter and the curtains remained shut, leaving the room dim even though it was already morning.

It looked exactly how he felt.

With a sigh, Teetee bent down and picked up the first shirt he found. He didn't bother checking if it was clean before pulling it over his head.

What was the point?

His whole life had become one giant mess.

He missed Por.

He was angry.

No... maybe he was just sad.

Or lonely.

He didn't even know anymore.

Every emotion blurred together until all that remained was the dull ache in his chest and the pounding in his head.

Nothing made sense.

And for the first time in a long time...

Teetee hated the person staring back at him in the mirror.

"...This is getting out of hand." The words slipped out before Teetee could stop them.

He looked around his apartment, then down at himself. He knew this couldn't go on forever. It was just a breakup. People break up every single day, thousands of them. Life moved on, and eventually, so did they.

So why couldn't he?

Why did it feel like someone had ripped a part of him away?

He knew what everyone would tell him.

“Move on.”

“You'll find someone else.”

“It gets better.”

But none of those words made the ache in his chest any lighter.

No.

There had to be something else he could do. One more conversation. One more chance. One more way to make Por stay.

If he truly tried everything...

Then maybe, maybe he'd finally be able to let go. He'd made that promise to himself.

That's when North's words resurfaced in his mind.

“Have you ever heard of the One Wish Willow?”

Teetee shot to his feet.

He hurried over to his desk, carelessly sweeping aside piles of unopened mail and empty cans until there was enough space to set down his laptop. His fingers trembled slightly as he flipped it open.

The screen lit up.

Without a second thought, he typed One Wish Willow into the search bar and hit Enter.

Dozens of results appeared.

He clicked the first website.

The page loaded almost instantly. It was surprisingly well designed, with elegant fonts, muted colors. It looked more professional than he'd expected. Not bad for an urban legend.

Teetee continued scrolling.

If this really was some internet trend, he could see why people fell for it.

Without thinking any further, Teetee clicked the Buy now button.

The confirmation screen popped up a second later.

He leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh.

"...This is so childish." He ran a hand through his messy hair, shaking his head at himself.

He knew this wasn't going to work. There was no such thing as a magical willow that granted wishes. At least... that's what the rational part of his brain kept insisting. But if buying a stupid branch was the last thing he had left to try,

Then he'd do it.

Because he'd made himself a promise. If he tried everything and Por still didn't come back… then he'd let him go.

Really.

This was the last thing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The warm summer evening wrapped around Teetee as he walked down the familiar streets. A gentle breeze brushed against his skin, carrying just enough coolness to soften the lingering heat of the day.

For the first time in weeks he felt okay.

He hadn't gone looking for Por in days. He hadn't waited outside his office or wandered past his apartment, hoping for a glimpse of him. The urge was still there, lingering quietly in the back of his mind, but it wasn't consuming him anymore.

Maybe things were finally getting better.

On his way home, Teetee found himself turning toward a small crepe shop tucked away on the corner.

It had never really been his favorite. It was Por's.

Back when they were together, Por would insist on stopping there whenever they were nearby. Somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, Teetee had started looking forward to it too.

There were memories in every corner of the little shop.

But tonight...

He wasn't going there because of the memories.

He was just craving a crepe.

The realization made him smile to himself.

“Can I get a strawberry and chocolate crepe, please?”

A familiar voice cut through Teetee's thoughts.

His heart stopped.

“Make that two, please.”

Another voice answered, one Teetee didn't recognize.

Slowly, almost against his own will, he lifted his head toward the counter.

As if the universe had decided to ignore every silent prayer he had ever made, It was Por.

He wasn't alone.

Standing beside him was a man around his height, maybe a little taller, with sharp features and jet-black hair that framed his face neatly. He looked comfortable standing next to Por. Too comfortable.

The shop owner handed them the crepes. Por accepted his with both hands before passing the other one to the man. The two exchanged a few words Teetee couldn't make out. Then they laughed.

And there it was. That familiar gummy smile. The one Teetee had spent years trying to protect. The one he thought belonged to him. His chest tightened.

It had only been a few days. Just a few days.

Yet Por already looked... happy.

Happy enough to laugh with someone else.

Without a second thought, Teetee hurried after them. He knew he shouldn't, he knew this was exactly what Por had asked him not to do. Por would probably hate him even more for chasing after him like this. But Teetee didn't care anymore. Right now, he needed an explanation. He needed Por to look him in the eye and tell him that the man beside him was just a friend. That there was nothing between them.

"P'Por!"

His voice rang through the evening street.

Both of them stopped.

Por slowly turned around, surprise flashing across his face before it settled into something more guarded.

"...Tee?" His eyes widened slightly.

"What are you doing here?"

There was concern in his voice, but there was distance too. The kind that hadn't existed between them just weeks ago. Teetee's feet came to a stop a few steps away, his eyes darting from Por to the man standing beside him.

His throat felt impossibly dry.

"...Who is he?"

Por sighed. "Tee, this isn't your business anymore. Please leave me alone."

He turned around as he spoke. The man beside him remained silent, quietly observing the situation unfolding before him.

"P'Por, wait."

Before Por could take another step, Teetee reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Please... just tell me who he is."

For a brief moment, Por froze. Then, without hesitation he yanked his hand free.

"Tee." His voice was firmer this time. "This is getting out of hand. Just leave."

Por didn't look back again. He simply continued walking, the man following closely beside him. Teetee stood rooted to the spot, watching their figures grow smaller with every step.

He wanted to run after them. He wanted to scream. He wanted to drag Por back and demand an answer. Instead, he couldn't move. His emotions tangled together until he couldn't tell one from another.

Was he sad?

Angry?

Jealous?

He didn't know.

All he knew was that his chest felt unbearably tight, as though someone had wrapped a hand around his heart and refused to let go. 

His vision blurred. Warm tears rolled silently down his cheeks, one after another. He didn't even bother wiping them away. He couldn't do this anymore.

It hurt.

It hurt far too much.

------------------------

Once again, Teetee dragged himself back to his apartment, a beer can dangling loosely from one hand while he used the other to steady himself as he stumbled down the hallway.

He fumbled with his keys, barely able to keep his balance.

Just as he reached his door, something caught his eye.

A package.

It sat neatly in front of his apartment, sealed tightly with a small willow tree sticker pressed onto the top.

Teetee picked up the package and stepped inside his apartment.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, he let himself collapse onto the bed, the unopened package landing beside him.

His mind was a mess.

All he could feel was the same aching pain in his chest.

If he was being honest with himself, he hated seeing Por with anyone else. He hated the thought of someone else making Por smile. He hated the fact that he wasn't the one standing beside him anymore. And most of all, he hated himself for feeling that way.

He was being selfish.

He knew that. He had always known.

Por had every right to move on. Por didn't owe him anything anymore. Yet he still chased after him, still demanded answers he had no right to ask for. Now his selfishness had finally caught up with him.

Now, Por might hate him forever.

"No..." Teetee mumbled to himself.

He couldn't let that happen. He'd promised himself this would be the last thing he tried.

Just one wish.

One impossible, pathetic wish.

In a hurry, Teetee grabbed the package lying beside him and tore it open. Inside was a small box. With trembling hands, he lifted the lid. Resting inside was a single willow branch. He carefully picked it up, cradling it in his hands as if it were something precious.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered,

"I wish P'Por loved me more than anyone else in the whole fucking world."

Snap.

The willow branch split cleanly in two and fell onto the bed. At the same time, the bedside lamp flickered.

Once.

Twice.

For the briefest moment, Teetee could've sworn something had changed. The air felt heavier, colder. As if the apartment itself had taken a quiet breath. As he blinked the feeling vanished.

He was still in his apartment, still alone, unchanged.

"...Bullshit." Teetee let out a bitter huff. 

He tossed the broken branch onto the bed beside him and fell backward onto the mattress. Within minutes, sleep finally consumed him.

--------------

"Teeee, wake up. You're going to be late for work."

A soft, familiar voice drifted into Teetee's consciousness.

Por.

It was unmistakably Por's voice.

No...

That couldn't be right. Maybe he'd finally gone crazy. Crazy enough to hear Por's voice even in his sleep. Crazy enough to imagine things had gone back to the way they used to be.

"Teeee, wake upppp."

This time, he felt someone gently shake his shoulder.

Teetee's eyes flew open.

Right in front of him, 

was Por.

He was wearing his usual oversized sweatshirt, probably stolen from Teetee's closet and a pair of shorts that stopped just above his thighs.

His messy hair was exactly the way Teetee remembered it.

His face. His eyes. Everything.For a long moment, Teetee simply stared.

No.

This had to be a dream.

Without thinking, he raised a hand and slapped himself across the cheek, the sharp sting spread across his face.

"Tee!"

Por immediately reached out, gently catching his wrist before he could do it again. His thumb brushed softly over the reddening mark on Teetee's cheek, soothing it with the same tenderness he always had.

Teetee stared at him, still unable to process what he was seeing.

"P'Por... what are you doing here?"

"Me?" Por pointed to himself before letting out a small, nervous laugh.

"I... I felt bad about yesterday, Tee." He lowered his gaze, guilt washing over his expression. "I realized I'd been too harsh on you these past few days."

Por looked back up at him, his eyes already beginning to glisten.

"I kept telling myself I could do it. That I could stay away from you... that I could move on."

His voice caught in his throat.

"But I can't."

A tear rolled down his cheek.

"I can't do it anymore, Tee."

"I need you."

"I love you."

"I can't live without you."

More tears spilled from his eyes as his voice cracked with every word.

"I don't want to lose you."

"I never want to be apart from you again."

“I’m sorry.”

Teetee immediately grabbed Por's hands, his own tears spilling over.

"Ter... me too." His voice trembled. "I can't live without you either."

He tightened his grip.

"I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry for everything."

A shaky laugh escaped him.

"We'll start over, okay? We'll forget everything that happened and start from the beginning. Right, Ter?"

Por nodded without hesitation.

Again.

And again.

"As many times as you want," he whispered. "I'll do anything."

The words made Teetee's chest tighten.

Por threw his arms around him, burying his face into Teetee's shoulder. His body trembled with quiet sobs as he clung to him as though letting go would tear them apart. Teetee wrapped his arms around him, gently rubbing his back.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here."

Teetee's gaze drifted toward the opened box resting on the bed. The One Wish Willow. Had his wish actually come true?

He didn't know, and he didn't care.

All that mattered was that Por was back.

Back where he belonged, to him.

Slowly, Por pulled away from Teetee's shoulder.

He leaned closer until their noses brushed together, refusing to leave even the smallest distance between them.

"Love you so much," he whispered, his eyes never leaving Teetee's.

Teetee couldn't help but laugh as he pulled Por into an even tighter embrace.

"I love you too."

Neither of them let go for a long time, eventually Por was the first to pull away, wiping the tears from his face with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. His eyes were still red, but he smiled. 

"Come on," Por said with a bright smile, as if he hadn't been crying just moments ago. "Let's get you ready for work."

He gently squeezed Teetee's hand.

"And after work... let's have dinner together. I'll make a reservation at your favorite restaurant."

Teetee couldn't help but smile at Por’s words.

"...Yeah."

He squeezed Por's hand back.

"Let's start over."

"From the beginning."

Por's smile widened.

"From the beginning."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Teetee hadn't smiled this much in weeks. Everything felt normal again. The warm weather, the busy office, even the endless pile of paperwork on his desk somehow felt bearable. For the first time since the breakup, the weight on his chest had disappeared. Every now and then, he'd catch himself smiling for no reason.

He couldn't wait for dinner with Por.

As soon as work ended, Teetee packed his bag, grabbed his keys, and headed straight for the parking lot. The drive to Por's office felt shorter than usual.

A few minutes later, the passenger door opened, Por slid into the seat with a warm smile.

He looked absolutely gorgeous, even in his work clothes.

He wore a simple tailored suit that perfectly framed his figure, making him look effortlessly elegant. His hair was slightly messy, but carefully styled at the same time.

Teetee couldn't stop staring.

God...

He looks soo pretty.

Without thinking, Teetee leaned over and pressed a quick kiss against Por's lips. Por froze for a second. Then, a faint blush crept across his cheeks as he smiled shyly.

"Tee..." he mumbled, lightly smacking Teetee's chest. "I'm hungry. Let's just get to the restaurant."

Por was going to be the death of him. He looked way too cute.

"Yes, sir!" Teetee grinned, raising a hand in an exaggerated salute before starting the car. 

Soon after, they arrived at the restaurant. It wasn't overly extravagant, but it was beautiful. Warm lights hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over the dining room while the large windows overlooked the city skyline. Por had reserved a table near the balcony, giving them a perfect view of the glittering lights below.

It was romantic. The kind of place Por would bring Teetee to.

Dinner went smoothly. They ordered matching steaks, medium rare, along with a bottle of wine that sat between them as they talked and laughed. Everything felt right.

Then the food arrived. Por immediately picked up his knife and fork. The sharp scrape of metal against porcelain made Teetee wince. Por was cutting his steak a little too quickly, the movements lacking their usual elegance. He barely paused between bites, swallowing one piece before cutting the next.

Teetee watched him for a moment.

The reddish juices spread across the plate as another piece disappeared.

Then another.

And another.

Before long, Por's plate was empty.

That was unusual. Por normally took his time eating. He liked talking between bites, stealing food from Teetee's plate, and taking his time savoring the flavor of the food.

Tonight, he seemed focused entirely on the food. Maybe he was just hungry. The thought settled whatever unease Teetee felt.

After all, it had been a long day.

"Can I get another one?"

Por tilted his head slightly, a familiar smile on his lips.

Cute. Completely normal.

"Anything you want, Terr." A slow smile spread across Teetee's face.

Without another word, he signaled for the waiter. If Por wanted another steak, then he'd get another steak. Simple as that. Teetee looked back down at his own plate, warmth settling comfortably in his chest as he continued eating.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. They shared dessert, talked about nothing important and laughed at things that weren't even that funny.

Por smiled at him.

Looked at him.

Stayed beside him.

And somehow, that was enough.

More than enough.

By the time they left the restaurant, the city lights had begun to blur together beneath the night sky. A cool breeze greeted them as they stepped outside, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Teetee felt completely at peace.

This was everything Teetee had ever wanted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From then on, life became everything Teetee had ever dreamed of.

No more arguments.

No more tears.

No more begging.

Por agreed with everything he said. If Teetee wanted to stay home, they stayed home. If he wanted to go out, Por would happily follow. Every suggestion was met with a smile, every decision with an easy nod.

It was perfect.

Wasn't it?

Tonight was movie night. The two of them were curled up together on the sofa, a bowl of popcorn balanced between them while a romantic comedy played on the television. Teetee had picked the movie, like he always did lately, and Por hadn't complained once.

Not that he ever seemed to complain anymore.

A familiar warmth settled in Teetee's chest as Por rested against his shoulder. Then suddenly,

"I'm quitting my job, Tee."

Teetee blinked.

"What?"

Por looked up at him, completely relaxed.

"I'm quitting."

The words hit Teetee harder than he expected.

"P'Por..."

He sat up straighter.

"What are you talking about?"

"I already submitted my resignation."

Teetee stared at him.

For a moment, he thought Por was joking, but Por's expression remained calm.

"I also withdrew from the overseas project."

The movie continued playing in the background. Neither of them paid attention to it anymore.

"P'Por, that's your dream."

Teetee's voice came out softer than intended.

"You worked so hard for that."

"Oh."

Por smiled.

A small, careless smile.

"It's okay."

Okay?

Teetee felt his stomach twist.

Nothing about this was okay.

Before, Por would spend hours talking about his future. About the places he wanted to visit. The experiences he wanted to have. The excitement in his eyes had always been impossible to miss.

Now...

It was gone.

Teetee reached out and grabbed his shoulder, turning him away from the television.

"Por."

His voice was firmer this time.

"What happened?"

Por's eyes met his.

Then he smiled.

A bright, familiar smile.

The kind that normally made Teetee's heart skip a beat.

"I don't want us to fight about it anymore."

The smile widened.

"I can just stay home with you."

Something cold crawled down Teetee's spine.

"You can take care of me, right?"

Por leaned closer.

"You'd do that for me."

His voice was gentle.

"Just like you did everything to get me back."

Teetee blinked, maybe this was a good idea.

They had to talk about the overseas project sooner or later. If he was being honest, he'd been scared to bring it up. Scared to lose Por again. He could've followed him packed a bag, and started over somewhere new. But he had his own work. His family. He couldn't just go.

He pushed the thought down and looked straight into Por's eyes.

"Of course," he said. "Anything for you."

He leaned in and kissed him.

Por kissed back and then some. What Teetee meant to be soft, Por turned into something else entirely. All teeth and tongue, harsh and hungry, like he was trying to say something he didn't have words for. Por climbed onto his lap without breaking the kiss, and Teetee barely had time to register the shift before Por bit down on his lip. Hard.

Teetee made a sound short, surprised.

He tasted blood. Just a little. A thin trickle at the corner of his mouth.

Por pulled back and laughed, soft and low.

"Ehee." His eyes curved. "You look so good, Tee."

He has never seen Por like this before, and maybe just a little he liked this version of Por better.

-------------------

Ever since Por quit his job, he'd gotten more attached.

Clingier. More, Teetee didn't know the right word for it. Obsessed felt too strong, but it was the one that kept coming back to him.

It had become routine by now. Teetee comes home, Por hugs him at the door. Every single night without fail, like a ritual Por refused to break.

Tonight was the same.

The moment Teetee stepped inside, Por was already there, arms wrapping around him from the front, face pressed into his neck. Teetee let out a small breath and hugged back, one hand settling on Por's back out of habit.

Then Por went still.

He pulled back slightly not all the way and sniffed. Once. Twice. Slow and deliberate.

Teetee blinked. "...Por?"

Por looked up at him.

And that was the thing. He did this often, looked up at Teetee like that. Chin tucked, eyes soft. Teetee had always found it quietly devastating. But right now the look on his face was something else. Something that didn't sit right.

"Who did you meet today?" Por asked.

"What?"

"You smell like a girl was all over you."

His voice had dropped. Quiet, but with an edge underneath it.

Teetee instinctively sniffed his own sleeve. "P'Por, what are you talking about,"

"I can smell her perfume on you."

Teetee thought about it for a moment. "Oh,it was probably the new intern. I had to show her some of the workflow today, so we were pretty close for a while. That's probably it."

Silence.

Por didn't say anything right away. Just looked at him with that same unreadable expression.

"I don't like that," he finally said. His arms hadn't let go. "I don't want you near anyone."

Teetee laughed a little. Nervous, half-disbelieving.

"P'Por, you know that's basically impossible, right? I work with people, I can't just,"

Por's grip tightened like a lock.

"No." Por's voice came out low and flat. "Promise me, Tee. Promise me you'll never be near anyone again. Anyone. Unless it's me."

"Ter,"

"Teetee." A beat. "Now."

The name hit like a slap.

Teetee went still. His laugh had died somewhere in the last few seconds and he hadn't even noticed. He looked at Por, really looked and didn't recognize what was looking back at him. This wasn't the Por who waited at the door with open arms. This wasn't the Por who laughed softly.This was something wound too tight. Something that had been pulling tighter for a while now, and he just hadn't been paying attention.

"I've never seen you like this," Teetee said quietly.

Por didn't answer. His arms were still locked around him. He was waiting.

"Why care, Teetee?" Por said. "This was exactly what you wished for."

The air went out of the room.

Teetee's mouth opened, but nothing came out.

He had wished for this. He remembered it clearly the desperation of it, how much he'd meant it in that moment. I just want Por to love me. Only me. More than anything. He'd wanted to be chosen. Wanted Por to stay.

"Now." Por's voice stayed low, almost gentle. Which was worse somehow. "Promise me. And don't make me angry anymore."

Teetee looked at him.

Por's eyes were soft again. Patient. Like he had all the time in the world. Like he already knew how this ended.

And maybe he did.

Teetee swallowed.

"I promise," he heard himself say.

Por's grip loosened just slightly. His hands smoothed down Teetee's back, slow and deliberate, like he was soothing something. Or claiming it.

"Good," Por murmured into his shoulder. "That's all I needed."

-------------------

After that night, Teetee began to notice the changes in Por. Subtle, he'd told himself at first. Who was he kidding, there was nothing subtle about it anymore.

Por had become obsessed. Teetee could say that now, fully, without flinching from the word. And somewhere along the way, without realizing it, Teetee had started adjusting. Keeping his head down at work. Laughing a little less loudly. Stepping away from conversations before they could go on too long. Anything to keep the peace. Anything so Por wouldn't tighten the leash another notch.

He felt watched. Not always not in a way he could point to and prove but the feeling was there, sitting at the back of his neck every time he walked into a room. Every time his phone buzzed. Every time he came home five minutes later than usual and Por was already waiting by the door with that smile that didn't quite reach his eyes anymore.

Por looked the same. On the surface, Por looked exactly the same.

But his smile had changed.

Teetee couldn't explain it to anyone. He just knew.The warmth was still there or something that looked like warmth but underneath it was something else entirely. Something that watched, and waited, and kept count.

He was on the phone with North when it happened. He'd stepped into the bedroom, voice low, door half closed. Normal things. Things he shouldn't have to think twice about.

"Just come over to mine," North was saying. "Or we can grab food somewhere. It's been months, Tee. I feel like you've disappeared."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Teetee rubbed the back of his neck. "Let me just figure out the timing and I'll—"

"Teetee."

He went still.

Por was standing in the doorway.

Teetee hadn't heard him come in. He didn't know how long he'd been standing there. His expression was calm. It was always calm now but something in his eyes had sharpened in a way that made Teetee's stomach drop.

"I'll call you back," Teetee said quietly into the phone.

"Tee, wait,"

He hung up. The silence that followed was the kind that had weight to it.

"Was that North?" Por asked.

"Yeah."

"What did he want?"

"Just to catch up." Teetee kept his voice even. "We haven't seen each other in a while."

Por was quiet for a moment. Then he stepped into the room, and Teetee resisted the urge to step back.

"You can't," Por said. Simple. Flat. Like it wasn't even a discussion. "I don't want you meeting other people."

"Por,"

"Just trust me." His voice softened, the way it always did right before Teetee was supposed to agree. "I don't want you giving other people your attention. Is that so much to ask?"

"What is wrong with you?" The words came out before Teetee could stop them. "He's my best friend. You can't just, you can't do that, Por. You can't tell me who I'm allowed to see."

Por's expression didn't change. That was somehow the worst part.

"I'm not telling you what to do," Por said. "I'm asking you. Because I love you. Because I don't want to share you." He took another step closer. "Is that really so hard to understand, Tee?"

"Yes." Teetee's jaw tightened. "Yes, it is. Because that's not love, Por. That's—"

He stopped himself. He didn't finish the sentence.

Because Por was looking at him with that patient, steady expression and Teetee had learned by now that finishing that sentence never led anywhere good.

The fight lasted another hour.

Por never raised his voice. He never had to. He just kept circling back, quietly, calmly, with that smile that was almost Por's smile but not quite, until Teetee was too exhausted to keep arguing.

In the end, Teetee didn't go see North.

He told himself it was just this once. He was getting good at telling himself things.

--------------------

Teetee stared at the ceiling and thought about everything he'd broken.

He turned onto his side. Then his back. Then his side again. The sheets felt wrong. The room felt too small. His own thoughts were too loud and he couldn't find a single quiet corner in his own head to rest in.

Was it the willow?

Or had he done this himself? Pushed and begged and held on so hard that he'd bent Por into something unrecognizable? He didn't know anymore. The line between the wish changed him and I changed him had blurred so completely he couldn't find where one ended and the other began.

He was still thinking about it when something shifted beside him.

Por was sitting up.

Slowly this time. Not the eerie stillness from before something different. Something effortful, like moving through water.

"Ter?" Teetee pushed himself up. "Is something wrong?"

He put a hand on Por's shoulder and shook it gently.

Por flinched  just slightly and then turned.

His eyes found Teetee's in the dark.

"Tee." His voice came out raw. Urgent in a way that made Teetee's breath catch. "You need to help me."

He grabbed Teetee's hands. Both of them, fast, gripping hard.

"I don't feel like myself." His voice cracked on the last word. "I haven't felt like myself in a long time and Tee, I'm scared. I'm so scared." His grip tightened. "I think I'm going to hurt you. I don't want to but I can feel it and I can't -  I don't know how to stop it—"

"Hey." Teetee held on. "Hey, I've got you."

And here was the thing, the thing that made his chest split open he could feel it. The difference. He didn't know how to explain it to anyone, couldn't have put it into words that made sense, but Por's hands on his felt like Por. Shaking and desperate and real in a way they hadn't been in weeks.

This was him.

This was actually him.

Suddenly, the air shifted. Teetee felt it before he saw it that same drop in temperature, subtle, like something being pulled out of the room. Por's grip on his hands loosened. The trembling stopped. Por brought the back of his hand to his face and wiped his cheeks slowly. Like he was noticing the tears for the first time and wasn't sure where they'd come from.

Then he looked at Teetee.

And smiled. Small. Soft. Slightly confused.

"Tee." His head tilted. "What are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping?"

Teetee looked at him.

The person who had grabbed his hands ten seconds ago, voice cracked open, eyes wide and scared  was just gone. Like a candle snuffed out. Like he'd imagined it.

Maybe he had.

He didn't know anymore. He genuinely didn't know.

"Nothing," Teetee said. His voice came out almost even. "I'm just feeling a bit unwell."

Por made a soft sound and reached out, tapping his shoulder twice lightly, the exact gesture he'd always done when Teetee was being dramatic about something small.

"Come on," Por said. "Let's get to bed. You have work tomorrow."

He lay back down and pulled the blanket up, settling in with the easy comfort of someone with nothing on his mind.

Teetee didn't move right away.

He sat there for a moment longer, looking at Por's profile in the dark. The slow rise and fall of his breathing. The way his face had gone completely peaceful, like the last five minutes had simply never happened.

Maybe they hadn't. Maybe Teetee was losing his mind. Or maybe, and this was the thought he couldn't shake, the one that followed him as he finally lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Maybe Por was still in there, surfacing when the grip loosened, and sinking again before he could reach him.

And every time he sank, he took a little more of himself with him.

Teetee closed his eyes.

He didn't sleep.

-------------------------------

The sleepless nights were catching up with him.

He could feel it in the way his hands weren't quite steady anymore, the way sounds felt slightly too loud, the way he'd catch himself staring at nothing in the middle of a sentence. He needed to talk to someone. A real conversation, with a real person, someone who knew him before all of this.

He was going insane. He genuinely thought he might be going insane.

Por was in the other room.

Teetee looked at the closed door. Listened. The sound of the television, low and distant. He had maybe ten minutes, maybe less.

He grabbed his phone. His hands were already shaking as he found North's name. He pressed call before he could think twice about it and brought the phone to his ear.

First ring.

Teetee's knee bounced. He moved to the window, putting as much distance between himself and the door as the room allowed.

Second ring.

He bit at his thumbnail without realizing, blood slowly forming near his nails.

At the third ring

"Hello?"

North's voice. Familiar and easy and so completely normal that something in Teetee's chest cracked just a little.

"North." He kept his voice low. Fast. "I need to talk to you about something. Let's meet tonight. I'll come to your place."

A pause.

"Tee." North's voice shifted immediately. The casual tone long gone. "What's going on?"

"I can't explain right now." He glanced at the door. Still closed. "I'll tell you tonight. Everything. Just, are you home?"

"I'll be home. Tee, you're scaring me a little."

"I know." He exhaled. "I know. I'm sorry. Just, don't call me back on this number. I'll text you when I'm leaving."

Another pause. Shorter this time.

"Okay," North said. Quiet and certain, the way he always was when it actually mattered. "I'll be here."

Teetee hung up.

He stood by the window for a moment, phone pressed against his chest, heart going too fast. Outside, the city looked completely ordinary. People moving, lights changing, the world going about its business like nothing was wrong anywhere.

He needed to get to North.

He needed to figure out how to leave without Por noticing.

He needed, more than anything, to say out loud the things that had been living rent-free in his head for weeks because maybe if he said them to another person, in a real room, they would stop feeling like something he'd invented.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and turned back toward the room.

First, he had to get through the rest of the evening.

Teetee took a breath and walked out.

Por was on the sofa, exactly where he'd left him, the television casting soft light across his face. He looked relaxed. Unbothered. Beautiful, the way he always is in Teetee’s eyes.

Teetee crossed the room and sat down beside him. He reached up and ran his fingers through Por's hair.

Por went still for half a second, then leaned into it. Head pressing gently against Teetee's hand, eyes still on the screen, the smallest exhale leaving him. Like he'd been waiting for it without knowing.

Teetee kept his breathing even.

God, he was pretty. Even now. Even with everything. Por had always been like this effortlessly, unfairly lovely and some part of Teetee that had nothing to do with fear or guilt or broken willow branches just ached at the sight of him.

He kept his hand moving. Steady.

"Ter," he said. "I'll be going back to my parents' place tonight."

Por went still.

Not the lean into it stillness from a moment ago. Something different. A pause that had a question mark at the end of it.

"Why?" he said. Still looking at the screen.

"Ma called earlier." Teetee kept his voice gentle. "Said something was going on at home, wanted me there. You know how she gets." He let out a small laugh. ”I didn't want to bother you with it."

A beat.

Por turned his head. Just enough to look up at Teetee, chin slightly tucked, eyes soft and searching.

"Can I not come with you?"

A month ago, Teetee would have already given in. Would have said ‘of course, come on then’, because keeping Por happy had become as automatic as breathing.

But Por was looking at him with that expression the one that was almost a pout, almost a question, almost something else entirely and Teetee looked back at him and felt, for the first time in a long time, steady.

"Ter." He brushed a strand of hair back from Por's forehead. Gentle. Patient. Like coaxing something small and stubborn. "It's a family thing. You understand, right? I'll be back tomorrow."

Por held his gaze for a moment longer than was comfortable.

Then something in his expression shifted. Settled.

"Okay," he said. A little quiet. A little sulky, mouth pressing together the way it did when he wasn't happy but had decided not to fight about it. "Be safe."

"I will."

"Call me when you get there."

"I will."

Por turned back to the television.

Teetee kept his hand in his hair for another minute. One more minute, unhurried, completely normal before he stood up. Got his jacket. Got his keys.

"Bye ter," he said from the doorway.

Por didn't look away from the screen. But his hand came up slightly, a small wave. A very Por gesture. One Teetee recognized from years ago, from a hundred ordinary evenings that had nothing wrong with them at all.

Teetee looked at him for one second longer.

Then he left.

He texted North the moment the elevator doors closed.

On my way.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He felt like a criminal the entire drive over.

Which was ridiculous. He was going to a friend's house. That was it. That was the whole crime, visiting his best friend without asking permission first and the fact that it felt like sneaking out of prison said everything about how far things had gone.

He didn't let himself think about it too hard. He just drove.

North's apartment building came into view and something in Teetee's chest loosened without him telling it to. Just the sight of the place. Just knowing he was almost there.

North opened the door before Teetee could even knock.

One look at him and North's expression shifted the easy grin he'd answered the door with fading into something quieter, more careful.

"Hey," North said.

"Hey."

North stepped aside and let him in.

Teetee made it as far as the sofa before his legs gave out. Not literally, but he sat down and it felt like every weight he'd been carrying for the last several months hit him all at once, pressing him into the cushions. He slumped back. Stared at the ceiling. Let out a breath that seemed to come from somewhere very deep.

"Dude." North sat across from him. "Are you okay?"

Teetee looked at him.

And then he just started talking.

He didn't plan it. Didn't organize it. It came out the way it had been living inside him, tangled and circular and not entirely coherent, but North sat there and let it come.

The willow branch. The wish. How desperate he'd been that night, how pathetic, how he'd sat on his bed with a stick in his hands and whispered into the dark because he had nothing else left to try. How Por had shown up the next morning like an answered prayer and how good it had felt, how right, how Teetee had told himself this was just Por coming back on his own and the willow had nothing to do with it because that was easier to believe.

How Por had quit his job.

How the smiling had changed.

How Teetee had started measuring the distance between himself and the door whenever they were in the same room. How he'd stopped texting people back. How he'd started lying, small lies first, easy ones, just to buy himself a little air.

The night Por had sat at the edge of the bed, staring at nothing.

The moment Por had grabbed his hands in the dark and said I think I'm going to hurt you.

How real that had felt. How completely, unmistakably Por that had felt and how it had vanished between one breath and the next like it had never happened at all.

How he didn't know anymore what was the wish and what was real and what he himself had caused by being the kind of person who snapped a branch in half and asked the universe to make someone love him more.

"I don't want to believe it's because of me," Teetee said. His voice had gone flat somewhere in the middle of all of it. Wrung out. "I keep trying not to believe that. But I can't, I can't stop thinking that I did this to him. That he was fine. That he was just or. And I couldn't let him go so I,"

He stopped.

Pressed his hand over his mouth for a second.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind, North. I feel like I'm going actually insane and I can't tell anyone and I can't leave and I can't, I don't know what to do."

The room was quiet.

North hadn't said a word through any of it. No jokes. No interruptions. He'd just listened, elbows on his knees, eyes on Teetee, giving him the full weight of his attention the way he rarely did because North was usually too busy being the comic relief to sit this still.

He wasn't being comic relief right now.

He was just there. Present and quiet and not judging a single word of it.

When Teetee finally went silent, North exhaled slowly.

"Okay," he said.

Before North could say another word, the doorbell rang.  Teetee looked at North. North looked at Teetee. "Are you expecting someone?" Teetee asked, eyebrows up.

"No." North replied flatly.

They waited.

A beat of silence.

Then, ring. Ring. Ring ring ring. Nonstop, relentless, like whoever was on the other side had decided the button was the only thing standing between them and what they wanted. The sound filled the apartment.Neither of them moved for a second.

Then North stood up.

"North," Teetee reached out. "Wait. Be careful."

"It's fine." North waved him off, already heading toward the door. "It's probably just a delivery. Relax."

He even laughed a little. Easy, unbothered, so completely North that Teetee almost believed him.

Almost.

Teetee stood up anyway. He didn't sit back down. Something in his stomach had gone cold and he didn't know why. It was a doorbell, it was probably nothing, North was probably right but his feet wouldn't let him stay on the sofa.

He watched North reach the door. The ringing had stopped already.

"Por?" His voice came out confused. Unguarded. The tone of someone who hadn't had time to be scared yet. "Why are you here?"

Then, Teetee saw it happen.

He saw all of it and his brain refused to process a single frame of it.

The motion. The sound. Wet, sharp, wrong. North's expression shifting from confusion to something that wasn't even pain yet, just pure incomprehension. Then North's knees buckled and he went down, slowly, like something had cut the strings holding him up. The thud of him hitting the floor was the loudest thing Teetee had ever heard.

Blood. Dark and spreading fast, pooling out from under him across the floor.

Por stood in the doorway.

Still holding it.

His face was completely calm.

Teetee couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. His feet were nailed to the floor and his whole body had gone offline. No thoughts, no words, just the image in front of him playing on a loop that didn't make sense no matter how many times it ran.

Was he seeing things.

Was he actually losing his mind this time.

Was this real.

North wasn't moving. North wasn't moving and there was so much blood and Por was looking at Teetee now, across the room, with that expression. That soft, patient, utterly calm expression.

"You lied to me, Tee."

Tears were forming in Por's eyes.His voice carried real hurt in it, the kind that would have broken Teetee open months ago.

"You said you'd be at your parents' house." A tear slipped down his cheek. "And you're here."

The blood from the knife was dripping onto the floor but Por didn't seem to notice.

"How could you do that to me?" His voice cracked. "You said you loved me."

"Por." Teetee's voice came out barely above a whisper. "What did you just do."

He took one step back.

Then another.

Por's eyes tracked him immediately. Like a sensor. Like he'd been watching for exactly this.

"Tee." He extended his hand. Reached across the distance between them. "Come here. Let's go home."

His hand was soaked red.

"No." Teetee shook his head. Kept moving back. "No, Por."

Por stopped.

Something moved across his face. A shift, the patience cracking at the edges, something rawer pushing through underneath. He looked at Teetee for a long moment. Really looked.

And then he laughed.

It came out loud. Too loud for the small apartment, too loud for a man with tears still running down his face. A laugh that had no happiness in it whatsoever.

"How could you do this to me." The laughter dissolved back into something ragged. "I did everything for you. I quit my job. I gave up my dream. I stayed." His voice cracked on that last word. "I loved you more than anything in this entire fucking world, Tee. Isn't this what you wanted?"

He took a step forward.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

"No." Teetee's legs hit the edge of the sofa. He sank down, hands over his ears without meaning to, like he could block out the sound of his own wish being read back to him. "No. This isn't what I wanted."

"Yes it is." Por's voice dropped, quiet again now, which was worse. He kept walking toward him, slow and unhurried. 

"You wanted me, Tee. You have me. All of me. There's nothing left of me that isn't yours." 

Another step. 

"But you won't listen. You do things I ask you not to. You go places I ask you not to go. You see people," His jaw tightened. "And it breaks my heart. Every single time it breaks my heart and you don't even care."

"Por, please."

"I can't handle it anymore." His voice splintered. Fresh tears. "I love you so much and you keep hurting me. Why do you keep hurting me, Tee?"

Teetee looked at him.

At the tears on his face. At North on the floor behind him. At the hand still reaching toward him like nothing in that picture was wrong.

This wasn't Por.

He knew that now, fully, with every part of himself that he'd spent months trying to convince otherwise.

Por was in there somewhere scared, and trapped, and surfacing in the dark asking for help but this thing standing in front of him wearing his face and his voice and his tears was not him.

"Come home with me, Tee." Por's voice had gone soft again. Coaxing. "That's all I'm asking. Just come home."

Teetee looked at him.

Then he looked at North on the floor. At the blood that had stopped spreading. At his best friend's hand lying open and still.

Something inside him went very quiet.

He'd done this.

Not Por. Not the wish. Not some cursed branch off the internet. Him. He'd been the one desperate enough to make the wish. He'd been the one who couldn't let go, who'd chased and begged and held on until Por had no choice but to stay. He'd wanted Por to love him more than anything in the world and now North was dead on the floor and Por was standing in front of him with blood on his hands and eyes that had no light left in them.

This was the wish. Exactly the wish. Exactly what he'd asked for.

He laughed.

Short and broken. It surprised even him.

"Tee?" Por stepped closer.

"I'm sorry," Teetee said. Not to Por. To North. To the apartment. To himself, maybe. "I'm so sorry."

"Come home," Por said again. Gentle. Patient. Like he had all the time in the world. "Everything will be fine when we get home. You'll see."

Teetee looked at him for a long moment.

He thought about running. He thought about screaming. He thought about the real Por surfacing in the dark, shaking, asking him for help and how Teetee hadn't been fast enough. Hadn't found a way. Hadn't fixed it in time.

He was so tired.

"Okay," Teetee said quietly.

Por blinked. Like he hadn't expected it to be that easy.

"Okay?"

"Yeah." Teetee's voice came out flat. Emptied out. "Let's go home, Ter."

Something lit up in Por's face. That smile. The one that used to make Teetee's whole chest expand.

The apartment was exactly as they'd left it.

Quiet. Warm. Their mugs still on the coffee table from this morning.

Por hadn't let go of his hand the entire drive back. He kept stroking his thumb across Teetee's knuckles, over and over, the way he always did when he was happy. Content.

Teetee let him.

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Por move around the room. Closing the curtains, turning on the lamp, humming something low under his breath. So domestic. So ordinary. Like this was just another evening.

"Ter," Teetee said.

"Mm?" Por turned.

"Do you love me?"

Por crossed the room immediately. Sat beside him. Took his face in and looked at him with complete, total certainty.

"More than anything," Por said. "More than everything. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Teetee looked at him.

"I know," he said softly. "I know you do."

He'd made something that loved him so completely it had destroyed everything around it.

He thought about the real Por. The one who used to talk about his future with stars in his eyes. Who'd wanted to see the world, build something, become someone. Who'd grabbed Teetee's hands in the dark and begged him to run.

That Por deserved to come back.

Even if it cost Teetee everything.

"Por." His voice came out very steady. "I need you to know that I'm sorry. For the wish. For all of it." He exhaled. "I just wanted you to stay. I just  loved you so much and I didn't know how to let go."

Por's expression flickered. Something moving underneath.

"Tee, why are you."

"I'm not going anywhere," Teetee said. "I promise."

He meant it differently than Por heard it.

Por pulled him close. Arms wrapping around him tight, face buried in his neck. The grip that had become a cage over months tightening one last time.

"I can't lose you," Por whispered. "I can't. If I lose you there's nothing left. You're everything, Tee. You're the only thing."

"I know," Teetee said.

He closed his eyes.

I'm sorry, Por. Come back.

Por's arms tightened. Too tight now. The way they did sometimes when the wish pulled the strings too hard, when the obsession tipped past love into something that had no name.

Teetee didn't fight it.

He thought about the crepe shop. The way Por's gummy smile used to look in the evening light. The way he'd stolen Teetee's sweatshirts and pretended he hadn't. The way he'd said from the beginning like it was the easiest promise in the world.

He let himself remember all of it.

He stopped fighting.

Slowly, Por's grip on the knife loosened for just a moment.

Just one moment.

And Teetee's hand closed around it first.

"TEETEE!"

Everything went black.

------------------------------

The wish broke like a thread pulled too tight.

Por didn't hear it snap. He just  surfaced. The way he had in the dark those nights, except this time there was nothing pulling him back under. The fog that had lived behind his eyes for months lifted all at once and he was in his apartment and his arms were around Teetee and something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

"Tee."

Nothing.

Por pulled back. Looked at him. His hands came up to Teetee's face automatically, tilting it up, the way he'd done a thousand times before.

"Tee. Tee, wake up."

The lamp was on. The curtains were closed. Everything was exactly where it should be.

"Teetee."

His voice cracked down the middle.

He didn't remember most of it. He had fragments, feelings more than images, the shape of months he couldn't account for, a wrongness that had lived in his chest like a splinter he couldn't reach. He didn't know what he'd done. He didn't know all of it.

But he understood, sitting here, what it had cost.

His legs gave out slowly. He slid from the bed to the floor, pulling Teetee with him, gathering him into his lap the way he had on a hundred ordinary mornings. His hands were shaking. He couldn't make them stop.

He pressed his face into Teetee's hair.

"I'm sorry," he said. Barely sound at all. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Tee, I'm."

He couldn't finish it.

Somewhere across the city, in North's apartment, the lamp was still on.

In this one, Por sat on the floor and held on.

Outside, the city went about its business. Traffic and voices and the ordinary hum of the world continuing without asking anyone's permission.

Por didn't move.

He didn't know how long he sat there.

He didn't know what came next whether he'd call someone, whether anyone would come, whether there were words in any language that could hold the shape of what had happened in this apartment.

He just stayed.

His arms around Teetee. Teetee's head against his chest.

The lamp burned on.

And Por held the only thing he had left of the person he would have given anything everything, the whole world, every version of himself to keep.