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Nanon wakes up to the warmth of another body in his arms, his face buried in that person's nape. Eyes still half-closed, he inhales deeply and draws them in closer on instinct.
The familiar scent of chocolate floods his senses and he immediately has an idea of who he's sharing a bed with this time. He moves his hands a bit and feels the firm sinew of muscles beneath them. Yep, Nanon sleepily concludes, this is definitely Ohm .
Nanon is a cuddler. All his friends know this. He sleeps best on his side, latching onto anything resembling a pillow and not letting go until he's back in the land of the living. Unsurprisingly, Ohm was one of his regular victims. It was a consequence of how often they ended up falling asleep beside each other – sometimes it happened after a long day of filming, but mostly it was the result of too many movie nights-turned-accidental-sleepovers because staying awake past midnight is a struggle for Ohm and staying awake with Ohm tucked in close and radiating warmth is a struggle for Nanon.
Nowhere near close to being awake, Nanon snuggles even closer to his friend. He noses at the base of Ohm's nape and inhales deeply, ready to let sleep reclaim him as the comforting scent clouds his senses.
He's on the brink of unconsciousness when a shiver runs down his spine and jolts him back awake. Realizing just how chilly he feels, Nanon stretches his legs and finds the soles of his feet ice cold after being left uncovered in the air conditioned room. He starts shifting around. Even in darkness it's not difficult to bump into Ohm's blanket-covered feet. It's even easier to pry the soft fabric away with his toes before pressing them into Ohm's ankle. Ohm visibly jumps. Nanon smiles, triumphant. Serves him right for being a blanket hog.
The cold seems to rouse his friend, who turns in his arms and mumbles incoherently. Still half asleep, no doubt. Moments later, Ohm blinks at him with bleary eyes then throws an arm around Nanon, sharing the blanket he'd been hogging in the process.
"'m sorry, were you cold?" Ohm asks, voice rough with sleep.
Nanon hums in reply, already falling back asleep thanks to the warmth now surrounding him. They're both under the blanket now and the arm he previously had around Ohm has shifted comfortably to his side. His hand now rests atop Ohm's hip, feeling the soft cotton of Ohm's shirt and the tiniest sliver of smooth skin from where it rides up unintentionally. The arm Ohm has thrown around Nanon is anchored firmly by a hand on the small of his back. It pushes Nanon slowly, effectively closing the gap between them so that their noses almost touch.
Nanon lets himself be pulled in. The room is cold, making the heat coming from Ohm's body even more inviting. He can feel the gentle weight of Ohm's gaze on him and he tries to return it, he really does, but he barely lasts a second before his eyelids finally give in to the weight of sleep.
He thinks he hears Ohm say something but the words are already lost to his sleep-fogged brain.
The last thing Nanon remembers is a featherlight touch on his cheek. A softer touch to his forehead.
Everything else fades into warmth.
When Nanon wakes up, really wakes up, he panics. He's fallen asleep in other people's houses before so waking up in seemingly unfamiliar surroundings isn't new to him. Usually, he lets his sleep-addled brain catch up to reality, remembers how and why he ended up sleeping in someone else's house, and proceeds with his day as usual.
This time is different. Nanon very clearly remembers falling asleep in his room last night. He'd gone to bed wearing a Pokémon shirt and shorts and had somehow woken up wearing satin pajamas in a room that wasn't his. Where the hell was he and how did he get here?
Nanon's eyes scan the room quickly. The walls were off-white and whoever lived here must have really been into movies. There was a large TV facing the bed, beside it were shelves full of DVDs ranging from the classics to more recent films, both local and international.
He racks his memory for anything that might give him a clue about where he is. He remembers waking up in the middle of the night and feeling cold because Ohm had once again stolen the blankets for himself.
That's right! Ohm was here. If Nanon's memory was drawing a blank, he could just ask Ohm to tell him what the hell happened last night and how'd they get here.
He takes deep calming breaths and that's when he notices the barely there weight of a silver ring hanging from a thin silver chain around his neck. This is another thing he doesn't remember putting on. Curious, Nanon tries to get a closer look at the jewelry. He thinks he sees engraving on the inside, but the length of the chain makes for an awkward angle. He won't be able to read what's on the ring unless he takes the necklace off. Nanon finds himself playing with the ring instead, running the cool metal between his fingers.
Now that most of the panic he felt waking up has faded away, Nanon reaches under his pillow where he always keeps his phone. He's relieved when his fingers come into contact with cool glass.
Unfortunately, his relief is short-lived when he looks down at the device in his hand. This was not his phone.
Nanon peers at it in confusion. Moments later, a small sound comes from the device's facial recognition software and the phone unlocks to its home screen.
8:15 AM
December 18, 2030
Wednesday
What the fuck?
When Nanon wakes up feeling chilly in the middle of the night, he already knows who to blame. He turns to the other side of the bed and sure enough Ohm is there, dead to the world and bundled up in the blanket they agreed to share.
"Ohm," Nanon taps him on the shoulder. "Hey, Ohm. Wake up."
No response.
"Ohm, you asshole. You stole the blanket again," He tries shaking him this time but the cocoon of fabric doesn't even budge.
"Wake up!" Nanon finally shouts, holding on tight to one end of the blanket as he kicks Ohm, who ends up rolling over to the opposite side of the bed.
Ohm sits up and looks at him, ruffled with sleep. Nanon does not find it adorable. He doesn't.
"I'm cold. Stop hogging the blanket," Nanon complains. He throws the blanket over them both and turns to sleep on his side.
Nanon doesn't expect Ohm to wrap around him from behind, warm palms wandering up and down his arms and leaving goosebumps in their wake. He feels Ohm's chest press against his back.
"Sorry," Ohm mumbles into the crook of Nanon's neck, sounding hoarse from disuse but Nanon can hear the smile in his voice loud and clear.
"Let me keep you warm," he whispers, breath cascading down the exact area where he knows Nanon is ticklish. Nanon elbows him but doesn't complain when Ohm stays there, holding Nanon close even as his breathing eventually evens out.
Nanon is so distracted by the date on the phone – the phone he'd never seen before but had somehow been programmed to unlock when recognizing his face – that he doesn't notice the bedroom door open.
"Morning," Ohm says cheerfully from the doorway. He's naked save for a pair of loose shorts and the towel draped over his shoulder. There's a familiar silver ring hanging on the necklace that he's wearing and Nanon wants to ask about it but all his thoughts are derailed when he notices the state of his best friend's neck.
If Nanon can't remember what happened last night he's willing to bet Ohm can because wow, someone certainly left him something to remember them by. Many things, actually. Splotches of color have bloomed all over his skin, from his collarbone all the way up to the delicate patch of flesh just beneath his ear.
"What the hell happened to your neck?" Nanon blurts out in shock.
Ohm, who had been talking about breakfast up until this point, at least has the decency to flush. "Is it that bad? Shit, I have a shoot tomorrow. P'Noo is going to kill me," Ohm groans. "You're lucky it's your birthday!"
And with that, he's off.
Ohm doesn't really answer his question, but right now Nanon's got more pressing issues than finding out about the person his best friend was currently sleeping with.
"Breakfast is ready, by the way," Ohm shouts from down the hall. "If you're hungry, you can go ahead and I'll join you after my shower."
"Okay," Nanon replies, already unlocking the device in his hand. He's about to type "what date is it today" on Google out of desperation when the phone's wallpaper stops him in his tracks. It's simple enough – a photo of two hands intertwined. Except. Nanon knows those hands.
He opens the phone's gallery, checks the albums, and feels his blood run cold. Any previous doubts he may have had about the owner of this phone vanish when he looks at the photos. These are his photos, sorted into albums the exact same way he does. Yes, he had an album for his friends and another for memes but the others were typically made for special occasions. Dates. Special events. Trips. Scrolling through them now, he sees himself in the photos. He's with friends in some but most . Nanon gulps. Most are with Ohm. Dinners, vacations, family get-togethers. Name a celebration and Ohm is there.
Nanon's breath hitches as he scrolls further and sees the same photo of the phone's wallpaper used as the cover photo for an album named '6th'. Red flags immediately go up in his brain. Stop, the tiniest voice of reason says. There's no going back if you open this. But the pieces of the puzzle have already begun to fit and Nanon has a strong hunch about what could be in this album. He’d rather know everything than live with the uncertainty.
Nanon gets the confirmation he is looking for the moment he opens the album. There are a bunch of photos inside: some are of food, others are of scenery, but most are photos of him and Ohm. It seems like these were taken when they were in Japan. There are some photos of dinner at a high-end sushi restaurant, another of the streets of Tokyo at night. Nanon can't help but smile when he scrolls to a photo of him on the sidelines during a Pikachu Parade.
It doesn't take long to find a photo with both him and Ohm in it. They're all smiles, arms around each other with the cherry blossom trees as their backdrop. Nanon swipes and the photo that comes after is pretty much the same, except his arms are draped around Ohm's shoulders and he's kissing Ohm's cheek. He swipes again and Ohm has turned to him with a sweet smile on his face, hand now cupping his cheek. Nanon's hand shakes a little but he swipes again and sure enough the last photo in this series of four is of them kissing. Ohm's hands are caressing his face while Nanon clutches at the fabric of Ohm's coat. Their eyes are both closed and they're both smiling into the kiss. The cherry blossoms bloom around them.
Exhaling shakily, Nanon closes the photo of them kissing and goes back to the album, which lets him view the other photos at a glance. He scrolls past photos of them shopping, eating street food, visiting a cat cafe. What makes him pause is a photo of two familiar silver bands in a box. Nanon immediately starts fiddling with the ring on his neck. So he was right, they were couple rings.
He finds what he had originally been looking for at the end of the album. It's the photo of their hands intertwined, silver rings around their pinkies in an apparent promise.
It's exactly the type of head-over-heels in love couple-y bullshit that he'd tease his friends for doing. He can't believe it's him doing this with Ohm.
But the most jarring thing about these photos isn’t how downright romantic some of them are. It's not even the fact that he and Ohm are clearly older in these. No. The thing that strikes him the most about the whole album is how familiar some of the photos feel. Nanon can't help but notice that in some of the photos they look at each other in the same way he's seen them look at each other in photos from events they had in 2021.
With shaking hands, he exits the current album and scrolls further, eventually finding another album named 5th. Even more scrolling and he finds the rest: 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and finally near the end of his gallery 1st.
It's not hard to figure out what these albums are counting.
Had the ring around his neck always been this heavy?
He can’t help but think about the matching one around Ohm's neck.
Ohm's neck which had so many--
Nanon swallows, feeling his cheeks heat up. No wonder Ohm blushed and whined when he asked about... Well. Nanon knows he's got a possessive streak. Apparently, and his mind boggles at his next thought, he hadn't lost it nine years into the future .
Nanon drops the phone onto the bed and even as he tries to wrap his head around things like time travel, parallel reality, the multiverse – Seriously? It’s like he's in his own damn Marvel film – he can’t stop thinking about the marks on Ohm’s neck from this morning. Especially now that he knows who made them.
Maybe it’s a testament to how well he’s taking things that Nanon vaguely, hysterically, wonders if it was possible that he had somehow turned into a vampire within the last 9 years.
Ohm walks onto the set in a plain white shirt and jeans. P'Noo, who does hair and makeup, takes one look at him and sighs.
"Busy night?"
She raises an accusatory brow at the bruised skin of his neck.
"Sorry, Phi," Ohm responds sheepishly.
"Did they really have to leave one right where everyone can see? Most kids these days show off on IG and call it a day," she tuts, already leading him towards the nearest available chair.
Ohm goes obediently, keeping silent and praying she doesn't ask anymore questions. Thankfully, P'Noo is one of the less nosy makeup artists. It's not that she's not into gossip, she just prefers figuring things out on her own instead of having people tell her. Ohm would bet his car that she'll be checking his IG to see who he was with last night as soon as she's done fixing his makeup.
Not that she'd ever figure out who he was with.
"You're lucky I just bought a new set of full coverage foundation and concealer."
"It won't happen again, I promise."
She hums in agreement and her pokerface is good enough that Ohm can't tell if she's just humoring him or if she really believes him.
Later that day, Nanon finds Ohm just as he's finishing his lunch.
"Hey," Nanon says as he puts an arm around Ohm's shoulders. "You had scenes to shoot this morning?"
Ohm nods and turns to meet his gaze. "I got here at 7AM for hair and makeup."
"Oh? That's pretty early," Nanon replies, the picture of innocence except for his eyes which are glinting with mischief. "I hope you didn't give P'Noo any trouble."
Ohm has to fight off a shiver moments later when he feels fingers gently brush against the exact spot that P'Noo had covered up with a liberal amount of makeup just hours ago.
Ohm tries to glare at him but he ends up breaking into a smile at the last minute, so he gets his revenge by putting Nanon in a headlock and messing up his hair.
"Ai, Ohm!" Nanon shrieks. "Ohm, I have a scene in half an hour. Let go! Ohm!"
Nanon tries pinching himself. He tries meditating. Hell he even starts praying.
Because there is no way he slept in 2021 and woke up in 2030. In a reality where his future self is somehow in a long-term committed relationship with one of his best friends, no less.
How did that even work? Did he swap bodies with himself? Was it even possible to switch bodies with yourself? What happened to the person whose body he was currently occupying? Was Future Nanon stuck in 2021 right now? Was this even his future or a different branch of reality altogether?
Fuck.
The chaos in his mind is interrupted by his growling stomach, which reminds him that Ohm had mentioned breakfast earlier. He drags himself out of bed and heads for the kitchen. It's not hard to find, Nanon just lets the enticing smell of spices lead the way.
Nanon wasn’t expecting anything grand when Ohm said breakfast was ready. He figured Ohm prepared something simple, just to make sure they had something to fill their stomachs that morning. It wasn’t like he had cooking skills to boast of. The last time Nanon saw Ohm anywhere near a kitchen, the guy couldn't even use a blender properly.
That's clearly changed.
There's a small feast on the dining table when Nanon gets there. A plate of warm rice is at the center of the table, surrounded by a plate of cheesy omelets, a bowl of congee with chicken bits, and an even bigger plate of chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly.
The delicious scent of food wafts towards him and his mouth starts to water. His eyes dart across the room. There isn't a single takeout bag in sight and there is a mountain of unwashed pots and pans currently sitting in the sink.
This is homemade food. Ohm made him a homemade breakfast consisting entirely of his favorite dishes. For his birthday.
Nanon needs a minute to process this.
He's about to get seated when he feels a kiss on his nape. Nanon can't help but jump a little. Ohm's hair is still damp from his shower and it tickles when he wraps his arms around Nanon and slowly trails kisses from his shoulder, to the base of his neck, then the underside of his jaw, and finally his dimple.
Ohm takes his sweet time and right now Nanon feels like the only thing he can do is stay calm and try not to have his heart beat out of his chest.
Nanon freezes under the amount of care Ohm is showering him in. He's at a complete loss of what to do in this situation. He can't just push Ohm away without raising questions that he himself doesn't have answers to. But this affection, as nice as it feels, isn't even meant for him. It feels weird to receive it when this Ohm doesn't even know who he really is.
With one final nuzzle and a sniff at Nanon's cheek, Ohm pulls away and slides into the chair across from him.
Now that he's getting a proper look at Ohm, Nanon can see all the small changes in his friend. The cut of his jaw is sharper. His shoulders are broader. There's an air of confidence about him that wasn't there last time they met -- which, at least for Nanon, was just last night. In 2021.
But there are things about Ohm that have remained the same.
"Did you fall asleep again?" Ohm asks as he begins placing food on Nanon's plate.
"No." Nanon says, painfully aware that the portions Ohm is serving him are just the right size. He even gets the number of pork slices right. Nanon's cheeks feel hot. He doesn't blush easily but he's willing to bet his ears are turning red right about now.
"Oh, then did you wait for me?" Ohm raises an eyebrow teasingly at him as he starts scooping food onto his own plate.
It's an expression that's so familiar Nanon immediately shoots him the look of mild annoyance and exasperation he has saved for whenever Ohm is being too cheesy.
It works, judging by the pleased grin on Ohm's face.
Nanon's feigned annoyance doesn't last long though, because he takes a bite out of his breakfast and an appreciative noise leaves his mouth before he can stop himself.
The pork is delicious. It's hands down the best he's ever had. Ever. He tells Ohm just that.
Ohm leans over, eyes fond, and tickles his chin. "Stop exaggerating, I've made them the same way for years now."
That's hunger, Nanon tells himself as he ignores the swooping sensation in his stomach in favor of taking another huge bite of stir-fried pork belly and rice. Not butterflies .
"How is it?"
Nanon takes a forkful from the lasagna on his plate and nods in approval.
"Pretty good, actually."
Ohm smiles before demolishing half a slice of pizza in one bite. He makes a noise of approval almost immediately afterwards.
"See, I told you this place was good!"
Nanon watches him dig in enthusiastically.
"I'd really love to try homemade meals in the future, though," he says, going for a casual tone.
"Of course," Ohm nods. "I'll make you some once I'm done practicing on Chimon."
"What am I, air?" Nanon protests.
He gets a withering look in response.
"I need to practice on someone who'll actually tell me when a dish tastes off."
"You were trying to be romantic," Nanon defends, one hand immediately holding onto Ohm's on the table. "It was sweet!"
"There's nothing romantic about food poisoning," Ohm scolds but turns his hand anyway so that it's under Nanon's larger one, their palms touching. "Don't lie about things like this in the future, alright?"
Nanon intertwines their fingers.
"I just didn't want you to get discouraged."
Ohm scoffs but gently squeezes Nanon's hand.
"As if! I'll blow you away with my cooking one day, just wait."
They have a dog.
Future Him and Future Ohm.
They have a dog .
She's a golden retriever named Sassy and she snuggles up to Nanon the moment she sees him on the couch, beautiful brown eyes looking up at him as she gives him kisses.
It's love at first sight.
Nanon tries to steal a glance at his watch as subtly as possible. Luckily, the live he's attending is for his most recent series and almost everyone on the main cast is there. He waits until P'Jennie asks Prim a question from one of the fans on Twitter to sneak a glance at his watch.
It's 12:56PM. Ohm should be finishing his lunch and taking his flu medication in a few minutes.
"Our last question," P'Godji's voice cuts through his thoughts. "Comes from user narablues on Twitter. They want to know: What do you like more? Cats or dogs?"
Everyone takes their time to answer. When it's Nanon's turn, P'Jennie looks at him and says, "What about the cat. Do you like cats or dogs more?"
"I like both, but I like dogs more."
P'Godji surprises him with a follow-up question, a playful glint in her eye. "Big dogs or small dogs?"
P'Jennie catches on immediately. "I heard he likes big dogs. Nanon, the rumors say you like big dogs, is that true?
Nanon knows exactly what the rumors are saying. There's been speculation for months now. He hasn't felt the need to address them, since they're about his personal life instead of his work. He and Ohm had talked about it and they both preferred to keep their relationship private, but not necessarily a secret. They decided to keep going out like they do and just let people talk.
Still, he's feeling a bit generous today. He's had a packed week but this is his only schedule for the day and he's happy to be able to go home and spend some time with Ohm once it wraps up.
"Yes," he confirms. "I like big dogs more. They're gentler."
P'Jennie, not one to ever miss an opportunity to tease, holds her hand a few inches above Nanon's head and asks, "How big? This tall?"
Pretending to be oblivious to the screams coming from the audience and some of the crew, P'Godji chimes in. "They grow that tall?"
Nanon decides to play along. "Yes, they do."
"Really? I didn't know that," P'Godji turns to the audience. "Did you know that?"
Taking his answer as confirmation that this is a topic they can joke about during the live, P'Godji asks, "And the one you like most is how tall?"
Later on, Nanon will find out that this is the moment that sets Twitter on fire. The hashtag for his answer trends, first in Thailand and then eventually worldwide. If he checks it just to see what people are saying, he'll find this exact clip getting analyzed to the ground. From the expression on his face, to the way his voice softens, to the way P'Jennie and P'Godji react to his answer – everyone has something to say about every frame in a 16-second clip.
But at the moment, all he thinks of is Ohm who's sick and having soup alone at home while watching this live. Nanon can't stop the smile on his face as he looks directly into the camera and answers.
"186cm, ka."
Nanon thanks his lucky stars that Future Him doesn't have a schedule today.
"So. What did you want to do today?"
Unfortunately, neither does Future Ohm.
He guesses he shouldn't be surprised. It is his birthday after all. They probably had something romantic planned. Didn't couples usually do stuff together the whole day for special occasions like birthdays?
When he doesn't get an answer, Ohm sits beside Nanon on the couch and looks at him expectantly while patting his lap.
Wait. What? Did Ohm want– Nanon's eyes grow wide in alarm because how the fuck should he respond to his best friend wordlessly propositioning him like that??? He barely stutters out the first excuse that comes to his mind.
"I have to- to water my plant. On the balcony. Not here."
Fuck's sake. He's glitched. Error 404 Nanon dot exe not found. He doesn't think he's ever turned red this fast in his life.
"Bye."
Nanon wants to believe that he almost succeeds in making a run for it but Ohm's hands easily catch his waist and the next thing he knows he's being manhandled back onto the couch. His head is being guided onto Ohm's lap and Ohm's fingers are running through his hair and – oh.
Oh.
"What's up with you today?" Ohm laughs as Nanon's eyes fall shut and he immediately goes limp on Ohm's lap.
"Water your plant? Seriously," Ohm alternates between massaging his scalp and his temples. "Did someone gift you another succulent for good luck not knowing you can barely keep them alive for a week?"
"Feels good," Nanon mumbles, blissed out. "Keep going, please."
"You're such a cat," Ohm peers at him fondly but does as he's told nonetheless. "You love it when people take care of you."
It starts with a skateboard.
Mond brings one on set and Nanon tries it out and the next he knows he's faceplanted on the asphalt and his right arm is broken in two places. Fractured, the doctors say as they put it in a cast.
Ohm mother hens him for the next two months.
"I can do it myself."
"You don't have to when I'm right here."
It's a conversation that happens multiple times and ends exactly the same way every time – with a variation of Ohm looking after Nanon.
Ohm picks him up and drops him off at home every day. He insists it's not too much trouble since they're filming the same series anyway and he leaves no room for argument. Nanon bargains that Ohm at least rest during his days off and let Nanon find his own ride for his individual schedules and it's a relief when Ohm agrees. But then Ohm finds reasons to be "around the area" in time for Nanon's events so they end up going together anyway. It's definitely a treat for their fans who get to see them together constantly. Sometimes it's a treat for Nanon too, as Ohm brings him sweets – ice cream, pastries, candy – which Nanon begrudgingly eats on the way home.
Nanon attempts to weasel his way out of their arrangement once but Ohm wisely pulls the "Would you rather have Mae Ning drive you around everywhere and wait for you until filming wraps up late into the night?" card on him and that's that.
"My cast comes off today."
"What time is your appointment? I'll drive you."
The appointment at the hospital is at noon. Ohm has an event on the other side of Bangkok in three hours. They barely make it on time after Nanon insists that they head straight to the event after his cast is removed. It takes another two hours for the event to finish and Nanon patiently sits through it all. Ohm, ever the professional, doesn't let his mood visibly dampen until they're on the way home.
"What's up with you?" Nanon looks at Ohm from the passenger seat.
They're in front of his house now. The day is officially done.
"It was hot today," Ohm shakes his head in regret. "Sorry I made you wait."
Nanon furrows his brow.
"I could have gone home whenever I wanted. You didn't make me do anything. You know I'm all better right?"
"I know. I was there when they took off the cast."
"Then," Nanon begins carefully, seizing an opportunity to talk about the elephant in the room.
"You know you don't have to do–" he doesn't even know what to do with his hands, his nerves getting the best of him. He ends up gesturing at Ohm in general, "– all this anymore, right?"
Ohm tilts his head in confusion and mirrors the gesture, looking at Nanon like he's started speaking a foreign language all of a sudden.
Nanon crosses his arms and raises a brow.
Ohm shakes his head in further confusion.
"You don't have to take care of me," Nanon finally spits out in a rush. Like if he says the words fast enough their meaning won't be able to catch up with him.
"Oh," Ohm says, a bit breathless. He looks thankful that Nanon finally started speaking a language he can understand again. "But I want to."
A pause.
"Take care of you," Ohm says, almost reverent, like it's a new realization that he must share with Nanon as soon as possible.
Just so they're on the same page.
"Is that… okay?"
He asks it with his eyes wide in anticipation, ready to hang on to Nanon's every word.
It's a simple question.
It should be.
It can be answered by either a yes or a no.
So Nanon doesn't know why he still feels like they're on the edge of a cliff and Ohm just asked if they could close their eyes and jump off together.
He swallows, willing words to come out of him. When they catch in his throat, Nanon nods instead.
They are seven hours into a Marvel movie marathon when Nanon concludes that the future isn't so bad after all. They just started the third Deadpool movie and Nanon is determined to remember every second of the film just in case he wakes up in 2021 tomorrow.
Wade Wilson is getting his ass handed to him on screen when Ohm leans in close, arm comfortably around Nanon's shoulders.
"Something is bothering you, right?"
"Hmm?"
"Did I do something to upset you?" Nanon's hands are larger than Ohm's so he doesn't know how the latter manages to take them in his and make them feel small. "Tell me so we can fix it."
Nanon's eyes immediately find Ohm's.
"No," he's quick to deny. He's not about to create relationship problems for his future self. "Nothing's wrong, I've just been tired these past few days."
Ohm sighs in relief and draws Nanon in so that he's leaning on Ohm, his back against a firm chest. Nanon does not melt. No one can see it therefore it does not happen. He does not allow himself to sink into the comfort of Ohm's arms around him, their breathing in sync as hands slowly draw invisible circles at his hip. Nope. Absolutely not.
"That's because you haven't been getting enough sleep, Non," Ohm whispers, voice pitched low.
Oh, thinks the small, traitorous part of Nanon's brain as it stores a vivid memory of this exact moment for later. He's never heard his name said like that before.
"You think I don't know you've been pulling all-nighters again?"
"'m sorry." Nanon replies drowsily, Deadpool all but forgotten in the background. He knows how Ohm can get about staying healthy. He'll let his future self fight his own battles.
He falls asleep before he even knows it.
The lights are out when Nanon wakes up. It's dark out and he takes a moment to appreciate the view an expensive penthouse unit in the heart of Bangkok can get you these days. The city is beautiful at night.
He's about to call for Ohm when he hears singing coming from a few feet away. Nanon turns around and finds Ohm there, holding a cake and singing him a happy birthday. He doesn't even hesitate to pull out his phone and record a quick video.
Ohm sets the cake down on the table and takes Nanon's hand, leading the way outside. They're greeted by hundreds of small candles the moment they step out into the roof deck. Scattered rose petals are on the ground, creating a path that eventually takes them to a small table for two. Ohm has prepared dinner by candlelight and the pasta is already served. An unopened bottle of champagne is waiting for them.
There is a box beside Nanon's plate and he freezes when he notices how small it is because not a lot of things can fit in a box of that size. Ohm's laugh knocks him out of his daze.
"It's not that." Ohm says, his eyes sparkling in the candle light. He's looking at Nanon so openly and with so much love that Nanon almost has to avert his eyes. "Not yet, anyway."
Nanon opens the box and finds… a set of keys.
They aren't car keys though.
Realization hits. He stares at Ohm wide-eyed.
"The first is for the gate," Ohm begins, unable to keep the excited smile off his face. "The second is for the main entrance. The third is for the bedroom."
A pause.
"Our bedroom. If you accept."
Ohm bought them a house.
"You're crazy," Nanon laughs in pure delight. "Of course I accept."
It's the best birthday ever.
Halfway through dessert, Nanon wonders if he really switched places with his future self. If that were the case, was Future Nanon stuck celebrating his 21st birthday right now? He has an event scheduled with Ohm today so they'll probably be together the whole day. In the end, he still can't help but feel sorry for accidentally taking such a special memory from them.
Nanon gets the idea to leave a message for his future self for when they switch back. If we even switch back, he thinks briefly before pushing the thought away.
He uploads a photo of the box on IG and captions it: "A dream I couldn't dream of having when I was 21."
Ohm gets the notification on his phone and likes the photo immediately.
Seconds later, Nanon gets a notification that Ohm left a comment: ❤️❤️❤️ But people might think a question was asked 55555555
He quickly replies: What do you mean? Didn't you ask a question and didn't I say yes?
Ohm reads his reply and laughs.
"You're going to confuse everyone with that comment. Even our friends."
Sure enough, he gets a reply from Chimon a few moments later: So do we say congratulations or what?????? 555555
(This is what Nanon gathers from looking through his own IG feed and, though he would rather die than admit it to anyone ever, searching for his and Ohm's names on gossip websites:
They got together when they were 24.
Fans tease them about taking their roles as Pat and Pran too seriously to this day.
Chimon, who had seen them dance around each other for years and who knows exactly how it all went down, won't let them forget about all the pining involved.
Nanon is certain he could give Chimon a quick call and get him to tell the whole story but he decides against it.)
It's Ohm who breaks the odd tension they have going on. He does it so casually, Nanon doesn't even see it coming until the sentence is hanging in the air between them.
"I think I like you. Is that okay?"
They are in Nanon's apartment having another movie night. Nanon's head is in Ohm's lap and he's struggling to keep his eyes open because Ohm is currently doing a damn good job at massaging his scalp.
His eyes snap wide open at the question and he eloquently replies with a high-pitched "What?"
"I like you." Ohm repeats. "And I like taking care of you."
"What am I, a pet?" he laughs, the deflection coming out easily.
"You're someone important to me." Ohm says it so casually Nanon wonders if he's even nervous. Because Nanon's stomach is suddenly in knots. "Though you are cat-like, I'll give you that."
As if to prove his point he runs his fingers just the right way on Nanon's scalp and Nanon, mortifyingly, lets out a pleased noise and leans in to the touch.
Ohm chuckles. "See?"
"Wait. Weren't you just confessing right now?" Nanon asks, steering them back on topic.
Ohm ponders for a bit.
"Yeah. I guess I am. So. I like you. Is that okay?"
"It is," Nanon's proud of how stable his voice is since his heart is beating a mile a minute right now. "Is that all you want to know?"
Ohm shrugs. "It's all I need to know."
"That's not what I asked."
"Don't ask about it if you can't handle it."
"Try me," Nanon challenges.
"Fine," Ohm replies, not backing down. "Do you think you could like me too?"
"I already do, dumbass."
It's Ohm's turn to be speechless.
Nanon sits up and loops his arms around Ohm's shoulders, unable to keep the smug smile on his face while pulling the latter closer to him. He likes being able to catch Ohm off-guard once in a while.
"You're so sure you know everything, huh?"
Ohm is frozen, shock and confusion visible on his face.
"Since when?"
Nanon shrugs. "Does it matter?"
Ohm swallows, trying to grasp for the right words to ask a question that Nanon can already see coming from miles away.
"Yes. How do I know that it's you and not--"
"Pran?"
Ohm nods.
"I got him out years ago. I'm not confused."
"We just finished promotions for the sequel. You're saying getting into that headspace for the first time in years didn't confuse you even in the slightest?"
"No, it didn't confuse me at all."
Ohm doesn't meet his eyes. He's clearly having doubts. Who could blame him? Nanon did tend to struggle with getting out of certain character headspaces.
"I've gotten much better at dealing with character bleed. You know this," Nanon sighs as he holds Ohm's face in his hands and starts drawing soothing circles with his thumb.
"And even if there was character bleed," he continues gently, "I would never let it get bad enough to affect feelings I'm already certain about."
"Feelings you're already certain about," Ohm repeats in wonder.
Nanon nods.
"If it helps, then maybe you can think of it this way: If you and Pat are similar, then Pran and I have the same type."
Silence. He's starting to think he may have broken Ohm here.
"Or you could keep me waiting another two and a half years instead of kissing me," he sighs, smiling at Ohm wistfully. "I don't mind. I'm used to it by now."
The next thing he knows, Ohm is closing the gap between them. Nanon meets him halfway, lips already parted invitingly. A thrill shoots up his spine when Ohm nips at his bottom lip, earning a gasp out of him and letting Ohm slip his tongue in briefly. A tease.
Huh. So getting on Ohm's competitive side works even in conversations like this one. Good to know.
"Two years wasted–"
A kiss on his neck.
"–All because you hid your feelings."
Another kiss. This time with teeth.
"I never hid what I felt. I was just–"
Fingers on his spine, tracing gently at first and then scratching down his back deliciously with a little more pressure from blunt nails.
"–ah, waiting for you to notice."
Ohm looks up at him, hands exploring Nanon's torso. Nanon is currently straddling him, legs planted firmly on either side of his hips. The additional weight on his lap doesn't bother Ohm one bit.
"How can I know if you don't say anything?"
"Give yourself more credit. You got there eventually, right?"
"Only because you broke your arm," Ohm grumbles.
Nanon laughs. "That's what made you realize?"
"I like taking care of you," Ohm locks their gazes, pressing open-mouthed kisses down Nanon's bare chest. "I don't think anyone can do that better than me."
As if to prove his point, he takes one of Nanon's nipples into his mouth and uses his thumb to play with the other. It startles a string of curses out of Nanon, who thrusts his head back and arches his back beautifully, hips unintentionally grinding down on Ohm's lap as he chokes on a moan.
"I agree."
Later that night, Nanon is on the bed, scrolling through Netflix aimlessly. He’s just finished thanking everyone who greeted him a happy birthday. His body is tired but his mind is preoccupied and he can’t sleep yet. Nanon looks at Sassy, who has already dozed off at the foot of the bed. He hopes he'll be back in his body by tomorrow but he can't help but worry because what if he's not? Was he just stuck here? For how long? This wasn't home. He wanted to go back.
Ohm enters the bedroom with his hair slightly damp from a shower, reading glasses on, phone in one hand and a script in the other. Nanon isn't even surprised by how much he almost wants to kiss him then and there.
"Is it okay if I read this here? Or do you want to go to sleep already?"
"It's fine."
Ohm climbs on the bed and Nanon is already in his space, leaning his head on Ohm's shoulder before he's fully settled.
Nanon has seen himself in the mirror. He's aged gracefully. He's gotten more active and he's eating just a little bit more healthily and he figures that's just one of the perks of having Ohm Pawat for a boyfriend. But Ohm, if Nanon were being completely honest, has aged like a fine wine. He's grown into his body and traded in his boyish charms for undeniable magnetism. There's no getting around it – his best friend is hot. It's a familiar thought that feels strange all the same because while he's always acknowledged this truth, he's never admitted to himself that he finds Ohm attractive.
But that's not the only reason Nanon wants to kiss him. Hell, it isn't even the top reason.
Here's the thing: Nanon can't stop looking at Ohm. It's as true for him here in 2030 as it is in 2021. Ohm is beautiful but he also has an openness about him that just draws Nanon in. He's genuine, and he's attentive, and he's not afraid to be vulnerable and let people in even if there's no assurance that they won't take his kindness for granted. These are qualities that Nanon has always admired.
But the difference.
The difference is that when he looks at Ohm here, Ohm looks right back at him. Brown eyes deep but unguarded; filled with so much love it's almost overwhelming – so much more than Nanon thinks he can handle.
Nanon thinks back to the photo albums on his future self's phone. The ring he keeps hanging by his neck. He thinks of how this version of him and Ohm have looked after each other for the past 9 years, how they've grown happily together.
They made it.
They could make it.
And that's just the crux of the matter.
Overnight, Nanon had gone from shoving his feelings into a little box labeled 'character bleed' and pretending they don't exist to witnessing firsthand what could be the result if instead of waiting for these feelings to go away he just… acknowledged them. Maybe even acted on them. For the first time, he feels brave. Drunk on a scenario he previously thought would be impossible. In this reality, he is able to fall in love and be happy without losing his soulmate in the process.
For the first time he admits to himself that he wants to kiss Ohm, but not this Ohm. He wants his Ohm.
So why did he have to have this realization so far from home? What was the point if there was no assurance that he could go back to his reality and work for a future that was just as good, if not better, than this one?
Nanon is sure he could easily overthink his way into the morning but the haze of sleep creeps up on him. He never used to fall asleep this fast. He wonders if it's because of old age or because of Ohm just being there, a constant source of reassurance and support.
As if sensing Nanon's inner turmoil, Ohm pats his head gently and softly presses their foreheads together before giving him a forehead kiss, lips feather light on his skin.
"Goodnight," he says and Nanon is grateful for how much this Ohm seems to be attuned to him. It's a bittersweet relief, to hear those words yet feel every bit of the "I love you" they are meant to be.
It might be a silly, sentimental thought but he'd rather not steal an I love you meant for his future self. He doesn't want to miss out on hearing those words meant that way from his Ohm anyway.
He says goodnight back and settles for reaching for Ohm's hand and lacing their fingers together. It would be nice, he thinks as he feels the last threads of consciousness slip away from him, to fall asleep like this every night.
Nanon wakes up to a million birthday notifications on his phone. He unlocks his screen and the date stares back at him: December 18, 2021.
The event might qualify as work but it's still nice to be able to spend his birthday with the fans. The sun has set and after performing a few songs earlier they're now just answering questions.
Since it's his birthday, he gets asked: If you could ask Ohm for one thing, what would it be?
Ohm, who has greeted him more times than he can count today, smiles at Nanon and says, "What do you want to ask for?"
Nanon chooses his words carefully.
"You said you've never loved someone this much before. As for me, no one has ever loved me this much before."
He thinks of their friendship. Of how grateful he is to have met best friends like Chimon and Ohm, who knew him well and decided to stay by his side.
He thinks of the one day he'd spent away from home. A story that no one would believe even if he swears on everything he loves that it's real.
"So if I can ask you something, I ask you to stay with me like this forever. We only have each other, keep taking care of each other like this, grow up together."
"Of course," Ohm responds readily.
"But two of us don't have to fight too much. If there's anything you're uncomfortable with, just tell me, we can talk and solve problems together. And…"
A pause.
"I love you," he says, patting Ohm on the thigh.
Ohm's eyes are shining and the way the light illuminates his face reminds Nanon of a candlelit dinner at the rooftop of a condominium in Bangkok that hasn't even been built yet.
He doesn't know how they get there, but he doesn't mind not knowing either.
He's not in a rush. They have time.