AGAINST THE RULES

Chapter 25

"So, what are you doing here?," Win asks when he and Bright are finally seated, waiting for their food to arrive.

"I was hungry," Bright repeats with a small shrug.

"The recording studio in the middle of Bangkok CBD could not get you dinner?," Win asks, unable to hide his smile.

"They could," Bright admits. "But then it would not come with this amazing view."

It takes Win a beat to realize Bright was looking at him and not the scenery. He fights the heat crawling up his cheeks.
"You like what you see?," he teases back, wiggling his eyebrows.

Bright snorts - but of course he did. He would not have traveled ten kilometers out of his way to eat overpriced cafe food otherwise. It was all for Win.

"Shiela obviously likes the same view,"
he quips before taking a sip of  iced tea.

Win's eyes narrow. "You're here because you're jealous," he says, needling Bright. "Interesting."

"I am not jealous," Bright scoffs. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Good," Win teases further. "It's not like we're exclusive."

He regrets it the moment he says it, noticing Bright's jaw clench. Win looks for something to say but the waitress arrives with their food and he could only watch wordlessly as she set each plate down. 

- - -
Bright is quiet as he bites into his burger. It was probably delicious but he wouldn't know, all he could taste was his disappointment. He miscalculated this didn't he? He cannot believe he let himself think like some lovesick high schooler. A profession of like on his part didn't mean a commitment. A kiss doesn't mean a relationship.

'Because if it did,' he thinks as he violently pokes at the side salad. 'Then Win and Shiela would be a couple too.'

That goddamn series of Instagram stories had made him jealous. Seeing Win's smile beside someone else's lips had practically made him run out the studio door. How juvenile of him. And apparently, how useless.

- - -

Cafe 12 was closed to outsiders since it had been booked by the production for the day. But Win is aware that even without customers there is kitchen staff and a service crew around them. It was risky to do anything but he needed to do something. Bright has barely said a word to him except to keep reiterating that 'I'm fine.'

"Do you want a beer?," Win tries again. "They have Bootleg Brothers here."

"No thanks."

"C'mon, let's share a bottle," Win pleads.

"I need to go home soon," Bright says. "Early day tomorrow."

Sullen Bright will never make anything easy, will he?

Win gives a huff and stands up. He moves to the chair beside Bright, praying to God that Saetang made everyone here sign NDAs.

Bright looks at him quizzically. Win doesn't explain, instead he takes Bright's hand and holds it.

It was just palm against palm so it should not have made either man weak in the knees but it did.

Bright does not tear his gaze away from Win and carefully, tentatively he wraps each of his fingers around Win's fingers.
As their fingers intertwined, their hearts begun to beat in sync. They were bound like a promise and a prayer - and it felt meant to be.

"Pretty hard to eat this way," Win jokes, trying to calm every butterfly flying around his chest.

In response, Bright uses his free hand to feed Win a fry.

They laugh at how ridiculous they were being. At how saccharine this whole moment was. At how much they didn't care because nothing mattered right now but each other.

Win opens his mouth again, shaking his head from side to side and Bright feeds him another fry. Win chews with a big grin on his face.

They spend the rest of the evening that way, hands together. They hid it under the table when ordering a beer or extra fries but they did not let go.

"We're not exclusive?," Bright asks suddenly just as he finishes his bottle of beer. "But we are dating?"

Win melts, his breath hitching. "We're dating," he confirms.

"What does it take to become exclusive?," Bright asks in his usual emotionless manner. But Win knew it was a front.

"Court me Vachirawit," he kids, rubbing his thumb over Bright's thumb.

"You won't know what hit you, Metawin," Bright replies. And in an act of daring, takes Win's hand to his lips.