Always you (PONDPHUWIN)

Chapter 8: Secrets Revealed

In the days following their intense confrontation, Pond and Phuwin made a concerted effort to rebuild their relationship. They talked more openly, addressing their fears and insecurities with a level of honesty that had been missing before. But even as they began to heal, there was a lingering tension between them—an unspoken barrier that neither could quite pinpoint.

It wasn't until a quiet evening a week later that the truth finally began to surface. They were sitting on the couch, enjoying a rare moment of calm, when Phuwin noticed a distant look in Pond's eyes. It was a look he had seen before, one that signaled Pond was lost in thought, wrestling with something deep inside.

"What's on your mind?" Phuwin asked softly, reaching out to gently touch Pond's hand.

Pond hesitated, his fingers tightening around Phuwin's. For a moment, he considered brushing off the question, but he knew that if they were going to move forward, he couldn't keep hiding the things that weighed on him.

"There's something I haven't told you," Pond began, his voice low and uncertain. "Something about my past that I've been avoiding, even though I know it's affected the way I've treated you."

Phuwin's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm, sensing that this was a crucial moment. "You can tell me," he encouraged gently. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

Pond took a deep breath, his eyes focused on the floor as he prepared to share a part of himself that he had kept hidden for so long. "Before I met you, I was in another relationship," he said, his voice strained with emotion. "It was... intense. At first, it felt like everything I had ever wanted, but over time, it turned toxic. My ex was controlling, manipulative, and I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until it was too late."

Phuwin listened intently, his heart aching for Pond as he spoke. He had never heard Pond talk about his past in such detail before, and it was clear that these memories still haunted him.

"I tried so hard to make it work," Pond continued, his voice shaking slightly. "I thought that if I could just be perfect, if I could just do everything right, then things would get better. But they didn't. Instead, I became obsessed with trying to control the situation, to make sure that nothing could go wrong. And when the relationship finally ended, I promised myself that I would never let anyone hurt me like that again."

Tears welled up in Pond's eyes as he looked up at Phuwin, the pain of his past laid bare. "I didn't realize it at the time, but I brought all of that fear and need for control into our relationship. I thought that if I could keep you close, if I could make sure that you never left, then I could avoid the pain I went through before. But instead, I was hurting you, just like I was hurt."

Phuwin's heart broke as he listened to Pond's confession. He could see now how deeply Pond's past had shaped his behavior, how the scars from that toxic relationship had bled into their own. And while it didn't excuse what had happened between them, it gave Phuwin a new understanding of the man he loved.

As Pond's words hung in the air, Phuwin felt a surge of compassion for him. He reached out, cupping Pond's face in his hands, and looked deeply into his eyes. "Pond, I'm so sorry you went through that," Phuwin said softly, his voice full of empathy. "No one should have to experience that kind of pain."

Pond leaned into Phuwin's touch, closing his eyes as the tears he had been holding back finally spilled over. "I'm sorry, Phuwin," he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through because of my past. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I see now that I was letting my fear control me."

Phuwin shook his head gently, wiping away Pond's tears with his thumb. "You don't have to apologize for being hurt," he said, his voice tender. "But I'm glad you told me. It helps me understand why things have been so difficult for us."