HE, HIM, AND US (Complete ✅)

Let's be more

Earth 1

New lifts the bottle to his lips. Two final drops of liquor slide onto his tongue. Not enough. He dips his tongue into the bottle to chase the remaining liquid. Then chucks the empty bottle onto the sofa.

Drinking for the courage to face Tawan. A tale as old as time. He should be here soon. He rises from the couch and grabs the discarded bottle. He is anything but a slob.

He picks up the trash he left all over the floor and center table. His head spins when he bends and rises. Perhaps he should've cleaned before getting drunk. He was never the best at making decisions anyway. He vacuums the floor to the best of his ability. Then sways to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Tawan cannot know he is drunk. Everything should be perfect. He needs to be perfect for him. His Hin.

His best friend arrives just as he leaves the shower. New donnes his clothes in haste to hide his tattoo. Tawan's smile blooms when he sees him. Pink petunias in the summer. Sweet. Pure. But not for long. He lopes into open arms. Rests his chin on Tawan's shoulder. He smells like love. New breathes him in. Large hands stroke his back. How he reveres this. Being touched—by Tawan. Any Tawan.

"I've missed you." His lips murmur. The sound, featherlight, doesn't feel like it came from him.

"You saw me this morning." The hand climbs up to his neck.

"I know, I know. I've missed you, Tawan." He has been missing Tawan more and more recently. Even in his presence, there's a cavity in his chest that longs to be occupied. "Can't I miss you?"

Tawan pulls back. His eyes wander over New's face. They look lugubrious. "You can. I've missed you too, Hin." He holds New to his chest again. His warmth envelopes him. Tawan is always warm even when his words feel like being trapped between two towering icebergs.

His affection augurs well for New's plans for the evening. He takes Tawan's wrist and leads him to the bedroom. He keeps the light switch turned off. Blue light from the bathroom disperses from the cracks in the door.

"This is how I imagine living inside of a bluebellvine would feel like," Tawan jokes. New tugs him onto the bed. He sighs dramatically as he falls over. This Tawan, who knows what a bluebellvine is. This Tawan, who has imagined what living in a flower would feel like. This man has given him so much. He too wants to return the favor.

They crawl under the covers, as is their wont, facing each other. Tawan's teeth gleam in the dark. New is buoyed by the smile. He lifts his hand to his face. The skin is warm. He caresses it. Steals the warmth like he has stolen many other things.

"I've missed you, Tawan." So badly that the ache feels physical. In the back of his head. In his heart.

"I know." Tawan's hand covers his. His tear ducts tingle. It is the alcohol. It makes him emotional just as it makes him brave. He desires bravery more than emotions now.

"Have you ever thought about us being more?" Asks New. It is no question that he has. He is in love with his Hin after all.

"More?"

He nods. Once. "Yes, more. More than friends. More than on-screen partners."

"We are much more than that." His fingers drift along New's hand. Then encircle his wrist. "Are we not?"

"I—I don't know. I want us to be. I want to be able to kiss you, Teh." His gasp is tiny. It registers as a whine. "That's what I mean by more."

"Hin,"

"Teh," The nickname slips out. It feels intimate. Just for them.

"Are you sure?"