Just The 2 Of Us

Chapter 21: Just Bickering

Ohm was the one who woke up first in Pran's room. In the past few days he could not remember a night he had slept so well. During the whole week, the thought of having lost Nanon to Mark haunted his mind, and the venomous feeling of betrayal intoxicated his very soul. But all those reasons which previously had left him with a heavy heart were fortunately gone. When his eyes opened, and he remembered where he was, it took him a while to realize that he wasn't dreaming. He couldn't help smiling as he confirmed that he was indeed in Pran's bed, and that the warm, unclad body in his arms did belong to the person who was destined to be his life partner, none other than Nanon Korapat, his better half. Ohm's heartbeats increased significantly, as he observed his lover sleep. The singer looked peacefully angelic while lying there, unperturbed by the troubles that surrounded them. Ohm wished he could see that tranquil and unruffled expression on Nanon's face more often. He did miss those days in which their lives were simple, and their relationship was veiled by just a very close friendship. He did miss the days Nanon smiled more, joked around, and they bickered about who was the clingiest one between them. He missed loving his best buddy in secret, and knowing that no matter how much skinship they shared, he could still touch Nanon and have enough restraint not to cross a more than friendly, dangerous, line. He even missed feeling miserably contained in his unrequited heart, wondering if his stubborn infatuation would eventually dim with time. He missed all that, but he wouldn't trade what he had with Nanon now for the undisturbed routine they led before they started filming the BBS series. Loving Nanon and being loved by Nanon was an experience he treasured more than his own life.

Too much fame could be unnerving, too much media exposure could be suffocating, too much work could be stressful, and being the target of too much envy could also be depressing. Being a successful actor, who was given the recognition he deserved was a rewarding experience for him, no doubt, but the pressure of maintaining a perfect public image while trying to please everyone was, to say the least, exhausting. Dating his co-worker, another star, a big one, and a male one, was not just a bold choice, but a risky one. He could be outed to the world, he could lose his job, he could be socially ostracized, face prejudice and all kinds of hardships. Individuals like Mark Pakin, or worse, could be everywhere. Individuals like him could go to great lengths to harm physically and emotionally the one he loved. Ohm knew that. He also knew that the former badminton player was still a menace to his relationship with Nanon. Ohm knew that once the man got out of the ER, he could go to the police and tell them that he was being chased by the jealous actor Ohm Pawat, secret lover of the actor Nanon Korapat. Mark could come up with any ludicrous story to obliterate their career and cause a colossal scandal. Ohm was no fool. He believed that retaliation would be knocking on their door very soon. Yet, he was ready to accept all the chaos that had been installing in their lives, as long as he could still have that lovely human being by his side. Any kind of hell would feel like heaven if Nanon could be there with him. Ohm was helplessly in love, and he knew Nanon felt the same way. The singer proved it to him time and time again. No matter the occasion, Nanon was ready to fight beside him. That's all that mattered to Ohm, and he felt grateful for that. Mark couldn't win if they remained together, and Ohm had a hopeful feeling growing inside of him. His gut told him that just like Pat and Pran, Ohm and Nanon would have the contentment they longed for, and finally get their well-deserved happy ending at some point. He strongly believed that.

All those thoughts revolved in his mind as he kept admiring Nanon's bewitching beauty silently. He could stare at him like that for hours, but he couldn't keep his hands to himself for too long. So he carefully, and gently ran a hand through the singer's hair and nuzzled his neck. He couldn't help sighing pleasantly when the singer's scent filled his nostrils. Oh, he understood Pat. He understood him very well. There was nothing sweeter and more divine than the unique fragrance of a lover. He couldn't resist sniffing his Non over and over again. His boyfriend made no motion to indicate that the tenderly weird action bothered his sleep, so Ohm touched him more. He kissed the younger's shoulder and rubbed his nose and cheeks against his back, as if he wanted to tattoo Nanon's essence on his own skin and lungs. The more he smelled him, the more he wished to re-explore the tempting textures of every inch of his body. And the more he revisited every nook and cranny of Nanon's shape, the more he convinced himself that the singer was a drug he couldn't live without. At some point, he finally noticed his boyfriend's breathing becoming slightly irregular.