Chapter Text
6 months earlier....
Thame woke up to the feeling of his bed being dipped from the side. Before his barely awake mind could even register the implications of that, a strong arm sneaked around his waist.
The warm presence behind him was familiar to him, even more than himself.
It is of his other half, the love of his life.
Thame turned around to hug the man properly, while his eyes struggled to be opened.
"I thought you're coming back tomorrow." Thame said in a voice heavily dosed with sleepiness.
"It is tomorrow already. It's 3 am."
"Oh." Thame pulled the man even closer to his body. "You must be tired."
"Yeah, I am."
Thame hummed in acknowledgement.
There wasn't anything else needed to be said and both already had one foot in the dream land.
"Good night Thame. I love you."
"Hmm.. I love you too, Po. Good night."
---
When Po woke up a few hours later, he was alone in bed.
He ran his hand over Thame’s side of the bed and felt that it was rather cold, indicating that the other had been awake for a while.
Po let out a small whine.
He missed waking up with Thame. Thame’s messy morning look is one of Po's favourite sights.
Specially because he knows that it's something only he gets to see.
However his disappointment was short lived when something else caught his attention.
The mouthwatering smell of bacon and eggs was all over the elder's apartment and it was making Po's stomach grumble. He quickly did his morning routine and went to the kitchen.
Thame had almost finished preparing breakfast.
He only had a few sausages in the pan and the last few slices in the toaster.
Po went up to him to give a quick back hug and a kiss to the nape before helping him set up the table.
Thame glanced back to look at his boyfriend of 8 years and a frown came onto his face immediately.
"You look so tired, baby. You should have stayed the night in Rome and returned in the morning."
Po shrugged his shoulders at that.
"I missed you. I haven't seen you in 5 days. And your schedule is packed for the next two days. I didn't want to miss even a second."
Thame gave a sigh as a response.
He knows there's no point in telling his boyfriend to take it easy.
As a former idol and a soloist, Po has a very busy life. So does Thame, as he's one of the top paid actors in the country.
It's really difficult for them to find time together, especially when the world is not aware of their relationship.
---
As busy as Po is these days, his idol days were much worse.
His company didn't let the group breathe for a second, exhausting them to a point where one of them had to be admitted to the hospital.
That's when Thame drew the line.
He always supported and never stopped Po from doing anything but he just couldn't watch while the younger's physical and mental state deteriorated day by day.
After talking with Po, he pulled some strings, discreetly of course, and made the company exposed to the public.
The company couldn't stand the backlash and soon had to close down, making the team members of Po's group part ways.
Some joined other agencies and later debuted in new groups.
Some, like Po, pursued a solo career.
Things have been good for Po ever since, especially when his former choreographer and friend got hired as his manager.
Pepper was a phenomenal dancer in his prime but he had to retire early due to a chronic condition in his leg.
He then worked as a choreography advisor to idol groups, Po's group being the last of it.
He developed a brotherly affection for Po and when presented with the prospect of being his manager, Pepper gladly took it.
He's one of the secrets behind Po's rise to fame, surpassing everyone else in the field.
Pepper is also one of the very few people in the industry that knew about Po and Thame’s relationship.
---
Po and Thame met in high school.
It was your classical love story.
Boy met boy, they fell in love, they lived happily ever after.
Except that they had to do it in secret.
Thame's parents were strict and kinda homophobic.
They had a clear vision of Thame's future and didn't let anything or anyone hinder that.
Don't get it wrong, they loved Thame very much.
It's just that they had different ideas when it comes to society and its expectations.
Thame was already on the path to be an actor and both him and Po knew how difficult it is for a gay actor to make it in the industry.
It was a decision taken by both of them to keep their relationship secret.
For their future.
It didn't matter that they had less and less time to be together as their careers skyrocketed.
The love they had for each other was strong enough to withstand everything.
---
Things got a little better when Po bought an apartment in the same building as Thame.
It was a high privacy place and many celebrities had apartments there.
Only the residents and authorised people would be allowed to enter.
And even more, everyone minded their own business.
They all had secrets to keep.
Po's apartment was in the 17th floor while Thame's one was in the 22nd.
But whenever the elder was home, Po was in his apartments too.
He had his own side in Thame's walk-in closet.
---
"At what time you leave today?" Po asked as he finished his breakfast.
Thame watched as the younger picked both plates up and took those to wash.
"Dylan said he'll come round 2, I think."
Po hummed as a response.
He needed to leave before the manager comes.
Thame's former manager knew about Po but not the new one, Dylan.
"Do you wanna catch up on your sleep or watch a movie?" Thame asked over his shoulder as they both went to the living room.
"Movie." Po plopped onto the sofa.
"I can sleep later. My schedule is clear till tomorrow night."
"The birthday party, right?"
"Yeah."
---
The movie was half way over when Po's phone rang.
He looked at the screen before answering, while Thame paused the movie.
"Pepper... yeah, I remember... okay... no way!! Really?! Oh my god, that's crazy... yeah, I know.... no no, I trust you. This is unbelievable... thank you... bye."
Thame watched as the younger's eyes shone bright like a star.
"Oh my God, Thame, you wouldn't believe this!!"
Thame chuckled at the other's excitement.
"What is it baby?"
"Remember I told you that Pepper received few drama offers but he wasn't sure about them and was waiting for a better one?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"Well he found the best one! You know Director Jun right? It's his new drama. I got the offer for the second male lead."
"Oh.. that's- congratulations baby."
This wasn't exactly the reaction Po was expecting.
Instead of the excitement, Thame looked rather shocked.
"Thame.." Po reached out with a hesitant hand and held Thame's fingers.
"A-aren't you happy for me?"
Thame smiled softly and cupped Po's cheeks.
"Of course I am baby. I'm so happy for you. This is fantastic news."
"It is! Right? The female lead is Baifern but Pepper don't know about the male lead. Said that the actor to whom the role was offered hadn't accepted it yet."
"Is that so?"
"Hmm... oh I hope I would do a good job. I'm worried, since it's my first time."
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do great."
"I wish you are there to help me, Thame."
Thame looked like he was deep in thoughts for few seconds.
But when he looked back at Po, he had a small smile on his face.
"Do you really want that, Po? Want me to be there with you?"
Po blinked few times in a confused manner.
"Yeah. I mean, it's kind of my dream to be in a drama with you."
Thame smiled happily this time.
He took a step closer to the other and gently pulled him onto his body.
"Are you sure? Hundred percent? No backing out after this."
"Thame what are you talking-"
"Just tell me this is what you want, Po."
Po was still confused but gave a nod to the elder nevertheless.
Thame leaned on and kissed Po's forehead, and let his lips rest there for few seconds.
Once he pulled out, Thame took his phone and dialled his manager's number.
He still had his arm around Po, while they waited for the call to connect.
"Hi Dylan... no, you're not late. This is about Jun's drama offer... yeah."
Thame looked at Po who had his eyes widened and mouth slightly opened.
"Tell him I accepted it."