When they arrived at the party, Nanon's mood greatly improved. The singer truly enjoyed being around people, after all, he had always been a social butterfly. Ohm knew that, to the point that sometimes he felt like an introvert whenever he was in his best buddy's presence. The kisses on the cheeks and bear hugs Nanon was getting from P'Tay and P' New didn't bother him too much, but the way Nanon easily got engrossed in conversation with other people and acted like he was just another one of his other colleagues made him resent the singer a little. The fact that Nanon was hiding stuff from him soured his mood even more. He ended up drinking too much, even though he wasn't supposed to. He was sitting by himself at a far away table when Chimon noticed his state, and soon landed on a chair beside him.
"Having fun?" Chimon asked, studying his features.
"At least someone is." Ohm raised another glass to his mouth and glanced at his boyfriend sitting on a table surrounded by dozens of their acquaintances.
"Why are you here looking so isolated, man? This is a real OhmNanon party. You guys should be joined at the hips." Chimon joked, and the other scoffed.
"Not in public." Ohm said shortly. Chimon furrowed his brows. That was new.
"Nonsense. Come join the happy table, you look like a loser sitting here all alone."
"You said only our close acquaintances would be here. I see a fucking crowd stealing Nanon's attention. That's not what I expected." Ohm complained like a child.
"Don't be sulky. You know how these parties are, someone always brings another person, who calls another, and at the end of the day, the supposedly private gathering turns into a GMMTV's BL party." Chimon chuckled, but Ohm was not laughing.
"I hope he doesn't insist on staying for too long."
"Hey, man, I know how you feel about him, and I also know that something had to change after those love confessions you guys shared during that FM. Wanna talk about it?" Chimon gave him a sympathetic look.
"Nope." Ohm replied shortly. Since Nanon didn't allow him to tell anyone about their relationship status, he wasn't going to discuss that topic even if his most trusted friend insisted on questioning him.
"Are you guys fighting again?" Chimon sounded concerned.
"Mon, give up. My lips are sealed."
"Well, since you're not talking, I'll have to find another source to provide me these answers." Chimon smirked at him and stood up. Ohm had a puzzled look on his face when he saw his friend walk towards Nanon's animated table. Ohm quickly realized what he was going to do, but didn't dare to stop him. He knew how smooth his comrade could be, so he just let him do his thing.
Nanon was laughing out loud when Chimon pulled him from his circle of acquaintances and brought him to a more private corner of the club.
"Man, P'Jennie is hilarious! Did you even see those dance moves?" Nanon asked with an ecstatic smile on his face. Being around people did have a positive effect on his mood.
"Non, forget the happy crowd table and look at me." Chimon said impatiently. Nanon blinked a few times, unable to keep his body from not moving by the sound of the music.
"What is it? Why so serious, Mon?" Nanon asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I need your advice. I won't take much of your time and I'll be quite straightforward. Are you listening?"
"Yeah, sure. Go ahead, man." Nanon stopped moving his body and focused on his friend.
"Okay, here it goes." Chimon took a deep breath and started. "I have these two great besties who work in the same industry and they acted together in a BL series. I know for a fact that one of them has a long-time crush on the other, but never dared to say anything. Then this big event happens and they get to confess their undying love to each other. Are you following me?" Chimon asked, as he noticed the look of consternation in Nanon's eyes. The music seemed to have stopped for him and the ecstatic expression on his face was long gone.
"Yeah. I'm following." Nanon swallowed.
"The thing is, I know they are dating now. And that's why they are being extra careful by staying away from each other whenever there's people around. But the funny part of this love story is that people will actually think that there's something wrong between them, especially because they are pretending too hard to be just friends. Do you feel me?" Chimon gave the singer a knowing look.
"Hum." Nanon's eyes became moist suddenly as he nodded his head.
"So, I want you to tell me what I should do to help these friends. I love both of them like my own brothers and I'm trying to find a way to express how much I am happy for their breakthrough, and how much I support their relationship. I don't mean to force any of them to come out to me, you see, I just want them to know that nothing changed between us, and I still would die for both of them, just like one of them said they would do for me. I am still loyal to our 2000 gang whether these two are hiding things from me or not." Chimon finished his speech, as a crying Nanon nodded at him repetitively. The older shook his head and patted the singer's back in a comforting manner. "No need to cry. What can I do, Non?"
Nanon pulled him into a hug and cried on his shoulder. "Meung, these guys are blessed to have you as a friend... Thank you."
Chimon hugged him back, lifting him off the ground briefly before ruffling his hair. He smiled at how quickly Nanon's mood shifted and how expressive he could be even without saying a word. First, the singer was elated when he was brought to that corner of the bar, soon Chimon saw panic in his eyes when he started talking about the advice he needed, and a glimpse of fear also flickered in those alarmed orbs at some point, but when Chimon finished his speech, relief and gratitude embellished his face. Then all those emotions dissolved through the tears he uncontrollably shed. Chimon admired Nanon's expressiveness and he always believed that that special feature of his friend was what made him an exceptional actor. The singer had a lot of talent in him, no doubt, and he used it in his daily routine too, whenever he was around certain people, and dealing with certain situations. His celebrity status rarely allowed Nanon to be fully himself in front of other people, yet, that friend of his would always be able to see through him, and find the real Nanon behind the impeccable masks he would put on. Chimon just hoped that Ohm and Nanon could rely on him whenever they needed. He was the oldest among them and he felt like he was responsible for the maintenance of that 2000 gang.
"Get a hold of yourself, man. Look at you, what a crying mess. I just asked for your advice." An animated Chimon informed the singer, who just chuckled against his chest, and tried to cease his sobs.
"Give them some time, they'll come around for sure. Perhaps, after some stupid party both of them will open up to you." Nanon muttered and hugged him tighter. Chimon kissed his head and pulled the younger away from him.
"Thanks for the advice, my friend. Now before you get back there, wipe those tears, will you? Otherwise Ohm will think that I am bullying you, and I have no strength to face that muscled man's wrath." Chimon said and both of them laughed out loud. The singer wished that there were more people like Chimon Wachirawit in the world that those like Mark Pakin. He was sure the planet would be a better place with open-minded human beings in it. Nanon wiped his tears with the sleeve of the black turtleneck shirt he was wearing, and the very touch of the expensive fabric reminded him that such a stuffy outfit didn't belong to him.
"Do you think people noticed that I'm wearing his clothes?"
"Well, I noticed it, of course. So what? It's not like it never happened before. Turtlenecks are great to hide hickeys, by the way." Chimon grinned, and the singer shook his head.
"What are you? A mind reader?" Nanon asked suddenly, and only when Chimon started giggling he realized that he had just confirmed the fact that Ohm and he were having some private fun earlier.
"Gosh! Have you guys done it yet?" Chimon asked unceremoniously.
"I think you're mistaking us for those friends of yours you were just talking about." Nanon blushed as he dodged the question.
"Nah, I guess you're the kind of guy who would want to take things slow. But Ohm is the opposite, you know. He's already marking your body, dressing you in his clothes and showering you with his cologne. I bet he's barely containing his urges." Chimon commented casually. Nanon's embarrassment doubled.
"Mon!" The singer censured him. "I swear to God I'm not borrowing Ohm's clothes anymore."
"Don't be stupid. Couples do that all the time. As long as it's not that Mark creep wearing your shit, no one will complain." Chimon shrugged.
"What did you call him?" Nanon was thunderstruck since he had never seen Chimon criticize anyone behind their backs.
"Sorry, I know you guys got strangely close after the BBS filming, but I can't help having a weird feeling about this Mark guy." Chimon commented casually. Nanon wondered why he hadn't realized that Mark was bad news sooner. If even Chimon, who had only interacted with the guy a few times, noticed that there was something wrong with the former badminton player, how come he didn't?
"He's no friend of mine." Nanon declared firmly and Chimon cocked his head to the side.
"Oh, tell me all about it! Did he secretly record you jerking off in the shower this time? Made a sex tape of you and Ohm without your knowledge?" Chimon was cackling, but Nanon just dismissed his speculations and gave him a light slap on the arm.
"A bunch of revelations awaits you after this party." Nanon promised him.
"Yeah, but you should give your boyfriend a little bit of attention, he's looking quite gloomy over there." Chimon turned around to point at the table Ohm was sitting by himself, but he wasn't alone anymore. Perth, Force, PP Krit, Jimmy, Sea, Billkin, Mix, Earth, Love, Drake, Milk, and Mark were at his table engaging in some enthusiastic conversation.
"He seems okay to me." Nanon raised an eyebrow, but his mood soured as soon as he noticed the badminton player's presence. He surely was puzzled by the casual way Mark had an arm around his boyfriend's shoulder. He couldn't figure out what that guy's deal was. If he was a homophobe, why he wasn't avoiding them? Why did he run to Ohm and complained about the black eye he gave him? What was his goal exactly?
"He's drunk, that's why he hasn't gotten away from them yet. Actually, he would trade all of them for you, if you'd just let him. You know, in BBS, Pat was able to pretend that he and Pran weren't in a relationship, but I'm not sure how long Ohm will be able to handle it if you keep playing your role so well. He's pretty bummed because his boyfriend ignored him the whole night." Chimon informed the singer and Nanon inhaled.
"It's time he get used to it. We don't have to be together 24/7, you know? He should interact with other people too. It's not like we're conjoined twins or something." Nanon chewed on his bottom lip and pretended not to be bothered when he noticed PP's hand under the table resting on Ohm's knee and Mix playing with ohm's hair. What the fuck was wrong with people at that table? Were they all preying on his man? The singer wondered if he should just take his boyfriend home with him to keep him away from those wandering hands.
An observant Chimon noticed the jealousy in his eyes and pulled Nanon by the arm. "Let's see what they are up to!"
Before Nanon could react, his friend was already dragging him to Ohm's table, and as soon as everybody there laid their eyes on him, they started laughing uncontrollably, except for Ohm.
"What's so funny, folks?" Chimon asked curiously and one of them had no qualms in answering that question for him.
"We were just replaying an old video of Nanon saying how much he thought PP was handsome! Our Non here, sounded like an excited fangirl! Anyone would doubt his 'straightness' after watching this." The former badminton player snickered, as he held up his cell phone in front of Chimon and replayed the video one more time. Everybody at the table tried to hold their laughs since Nanon was there, but PP couldn't hide his giggle.
"Wanna take a selfie with your idol? I could post the pic on my IG and the silly fan war would die out within a second." PP suggested sassily.
"Maybe later." Nanon snorted, and kept his feelings in check, but deep down he just wanted to strangle Mark Pakin.
"I'd love to take a selfie with you." Ohm announced all of a sudden and pulled PP closer to him. PP immediately accepted the offer with a huge smile plastered on his face and took a selfie with him. Chimon heard Nanon make an uncomfortable sound by his side, but the singer's expression stayed still.
"I'm going back to the dance floor. If any of you guys feel like dancing, meet me there." Nanon announced in a happy go-lucky tone and walked away from the table. He didn't feel like dancing, but he was definitely going to drink a few more beers. He went straight to the front bar, but before he could call the barman, someone put a drink in front of him.
"Accept this as an apology. I didn't mean to make fun of you back there." Mark approached him out of nowhere, and Nanon glared at him.
"Stay away from me. You can take your drink and shove it." Nanon warned him.
"Don't freak out in the middle of your own party. Ohm is looking at us right now. Let's pretend to be civil. I told him I would fix things between us. Can we shake hands?" Mark said cynically and extended a hand to Nanon, who simply ignored his gesture. He glanced at Ohm's table, and his boyfriend was indeed eyeing them from afar.
"Fuck you. He knows I don't want anything to do with you. Leave me alone." Nanon spat, but before he could turn away and ignore the man, Mark found a way to make him do what he wanted.
"Shake my hand, or I will go back to that table and tell your boyfriend exactly what happened between us inside your room." Mark said with an evil grin on his lips. Nanon didn't hesitate this time. He took Mark's hand in his and squeezed it tightly, making the other groan with pain. "At least you still shake hands like a real man." Mark commented viciously.
"Are you going to make up another story? What are you going to say this time? That I was the one who initiated that stomach-churning kiss? Go ahead and try, he won't believe you. By the way, where the fuck is the black eye, huh? I didn't even hit you that hard." The singer gritted his teeth and quickly let go of his hand.
"I covered it with make up, and I already have forgiven you for it. You should do the same. That's how real men settle their scores. I offended you and you already retaliated, let bygones be bygones. I'm really willing to make amends, you know." Mark replied simply and held the drink in front of Nanon again. "I told Nong Ohm that if you drink it, it means we're good friends again."
"What is your plan, Mark? I don't get why the hell you're doing all this. If you hate being around 'faggots' as you put it, why you're in this party? Why are you trying to stir up trouble?" Nanon did his best not to raise his voice, but before the other could give him an answer, a concerned Chimon appeared beside him.
"Is everything okay here?"
"Everything is peachy, Mon." Nanon said quickly as he briskly took the drink from Mark's hand and gulped it down. Chimon looked puzzled, but the former badminton player had a triumphant expression on his face. He even waved at Ohm and gave him an okay sign to indicate that Nanon and he had reconciled. Ohm waved back, but he didn't look very convinced.
Chimon dragged Nanon away from Mark and brought him back to the 'happy table'. Off, Tay, New, Jennie, Arm, Leo, First, and Gun commented how pale the singer looked, but Nanon just dismissed their concerns. Nanon didn't tell Chimon what happened between him and Mark, even though his friend kept interrogating him. Chimon could be quite overprotective sometimes, and the singer feared that if he decided to open his mouth, Chimon would either have it out with Mark in the middle of that party, or tell Ohm exactly what happened between them. Nanon wanted to be the one to tell his boyfriend the truth. He still needed to find the best way to tell him all of it, but he intended to do it soon. And once he did it, hopefully, he and Ohm would finally agree on banning Mark Pakin from their lives.
Two hours passed too fast, and Nanon felt like shit. Ohm was still keeping his distance, and Nanon hated himself for telling his boyfriend to tone down their skinship at the party. He knew Ohm wasn't happy with that request, but he still kept his word. Nanon could tell that Ohm was enjoying his little vengeance by acting too friendly around PP, but Nanon couldn't blame him for it. While jealousy ate at him, a terrible nausea was making him regret drinking so much. Chimon asked him if he was okay for the hundredth time, but all the singer did was nod. Half an hour later Chimon was already passed out on his seat and the singer felt worse than before. He needed to tell Ohm it was time to go, but he had to run to the bathroom and to vomit first. He didn't know if he had stood up too fast or if the dizziness taking over him was due to the amount of alcohol he drank. However, he could tell that something was definitely wrong with him. He was sweating too much, he could barely stand on his own two feet and he felt like fainting at any time.
"Hey, I got you." Strong arms wrapped around his waist and supported his body before he collapsed on the floor of the bathroom stall. Nanon smiled with relief as he realized his boyfriend had come to his rescue. He hated to behave like a damsel in distress, but he just allowed his eyes to shut and his legs to give in once he found himself in his lover's arms.
Nanon almost woke up a few hours later, but his body was paralyzed and even his vision was still blurred. He saw the shadow of a person, who he assumed that was Ohm, remove his clothes and put him to bed. He wanted to thank his boyfriend for being so kind to him, but he was still too out of it, and unable to utter a coherent sentence, so he just pulled Ohm to him and started kissing his lips wantonly, without restraint. He felt Ohm kiss him back, and his boyfriend's hands soon wander between his legs, nearing his crotch. Nanon wanted to remind Ohm of their 'not under the clothes' rule and he wished he still had some strength in him to protest. He knew he was fully naked and at the mercy of his lover's desires, but he trusted Ohm, and he knew the older wouldn't take advantage of him in that state. Yet, his legs were roughly spread. He wanted to close them, but his limbs didn't obey him. He managed to stutter a few words weakly though.
"Ssssstop, I-I'm not that druuunk."
He felt his arm being punctured by a needle, and then he blacked out again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning was full of surprises. Nanon never had such a debilitating hangover in his life. He felt his head throb as soon as he opened his eyes. He tried to remember what happened the night before, but nothing came to his mind. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was naked under the sheets, and panic assaulted him as he wondered if he was stupid enough to have his first time with his boyfriend while drunk. Were Ohm and him so intoxicated the previous night that they ended up doing it? The singer touched his lower parts, but didn't feel any pain near it. But as he moved around the sheets, his fingers found a sticky spot on the bed, and he quickly assumed it was semen. He cursed under his breath. Did he top Ohm? Did he come too fast before they even tried to go any further? He swore he would never drink in his life ever again. He needed to get out of that bed, but he still felt dizzy.
A confused Nanon sat up and scanned his surroundings, hoping to see his phone somewhere. He couldn't recognize that room he was in at first, but some of its furniture looked familiar. He had been there before, but he couldn't remember when. He wondered where the hell Ohm was. He remembered being carried away from a bathroom stall, but he had no idea how he got in that room, and he yearned to know what had happened to his clothes. He needed Ohm to explain to him where they were and whose semen was that. However, when his eyes caught the sight of a vinyl figure of an anime character on the corner of a shelf, he gasped. He had given that gift to a friend, one he now considered more like an enemy. A disgusted Nanon squeezed the sheets with his fingers as he tried to convince himself that he was having a nightmare. A sound coming from the bathroom caught his attention, and the singer immediately knew that he wasn't alone. He couldn't believe he didn't leave that party with Ohm, and he couldn't believe Ohm let him leave that party without him. He felt an urge to call Ohm's name, just to see his lover come out of that bathroom and ask him what was wrong. But the person who suddenly opened the bathroom door and stepped in the room wearing just a robe confirmed all his fears.
"Oh, you're up! Good morning, sunshine." Mark announced before he blew a kiss to an outraged Nanon.
"Why am I here?" The singer asked, as his eyes watered. "Where are my clothes? Where's Ohm?"
"So many questions, Non. Don't you remember anything? Have you forgotten how you begged me to take you and own you last night?" Mark smirked and winked at a desperate Nanon, who refused to believe his words.
"You lying piece of shit, I would never-"
"You give great head, Non. Your mouth is just as perfect as a whore's. Don't let me get started about your ass, I never fucked anything so tight before. I get why Ohm is so obsessed with you now. Maybe he won't mind if we do this more often. Friends share everything, right?" Mark asked as he came near Nanon and ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. "Even a straight guy like me could go gay for you."
The frightened singer quickly pushed his intrusive hand away and tried to get up from the bed, but his legs didn't obey him.
"I know, it takes a while to wear off. You see, I didn't want to spike that drink, but I know you wouldn't come with me willingly if I asked." Mark revealed as he sat on the bed, wearing a cunning grin on his lips.
"Did you drug me?" Nanon was horrified. He couldn't control his sobs anymore. He started crying hard when the other nodded. "What's the meaning of this, Mark?! Are you insane? This is a crime! You spiked my drink and took advantage of me! How could you!" Nanon yelled at his captor. "Everyone will know! I am going to report you-"
"Hey! Stop right there." He held up a hand in front of Nanon to silence him. "I was joking. Nothing happened, okay? I was just trying to teach you a lesson. Gay guys get fucked in the ass after they are drugged at parties. I'm just looking out for you, Non. That's what friends do." Mark said with an almost heartfelt sincerity. The singer had no doubt that he was a psychopath.
"What do you mean nothing happened? There's cum on the bed, and you said you-"
"It's not cum, Non, don't be stupid. It's puke. You puked all over yourself last night. The drugs made you ill and my special drink was spilled all over the bed. I cleaned most of it, but the mattress is practically ruined and it hasn't dried out yet. I was kind enough to remove your dirty clothes and let you get some rest. If I had done anything to you, you would be probably hurting all over, right?" Mark asked nonchalantly.
"Drugs can numb the pain." Nanon whispered. "I was fucking unconscious all the time. How can I be sure-"
"I am not a faggot!" Mark shouted suddenly, startling Nanon, who moved away from him in fear. He couldn't tell if his legs were still numb or if he was just too scared to make sudden movements, but he didn't dare to leave the bed.
"I won't tell anyone. I just want to go home." Nanon repeated, almost like a prayer. Mark sighed and his voice returned to a normal volume when he spoke again.
"I didn't rape you if that's what you're thinking. I couldn't bring myself to do anything remotely sexual to another man. If you don't believe me, schedule an appointment with a doctor later. All he will find are those filthy marks your boyfriend left on you." Mark clarified with a bored look on his face. "Be glad I'm not interested in fucking men, you thought I was Ohm and wanted me to sleep with you."
Nanon's heart almost stopped. His and Ohm's secret was out, and there was nothing he could do about it. All he wanted at that moment was to get out of that place and tell his boyfriend that they were in danger. Nanon never felt so threatened by another person before, and he couldn't help wondering how far Mark was willing to go in order to 'teach him a lesson.'
"I want my clothes, and I want to go home." Nanon stated, without looking the man in the eye.
"Don't worry. Ohm will be here in 15 minutes. He texted me before I got in the shower. Soon he will be able to take you home, cuddle you, comb your hair, sing you a lullaby, and do whatever you queers do when you're alone." Mark smiled as he saw the terror in Nanon's eyes.
"Did you tell him I was here?! Did you tell him what happened? You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Nanon stood up from the bed suddenly hugging the sheet around his body. Even though his legs were still shaking a little, he was glad to be on his two feet again. Both he and Ohm could take Mark on if the former badminton player tried to harm them. He just needed to warn Ohm before he got there.
"You listen to me very carefully, Non." Mark also got up from the bed and walked up to him. "I already have a script ready for us. When he gets here, you will keep your mouth shut and I'll do the talking. If you follow my lead, no one gets hurt."
"You do know he's a black belt in Taekwondo, right? He will kill you and I'll have to watch him tear you limb from limb." A trembling Nanon reminded him. Mark snorted.
"You will do as I say, Non. Or else, some very compromising photos and videos of the star Nanon Korapat will take over the Internet today." Mark told him in a menacing tone. "You know, I always found amusing to film you sleeping, and I couldn't miss this opportunity. Your fans will be more than just amused to see how their dearest idol look totally naked in bed." The former player winked at him cynically. Nanon couldn't believe what he was hearing. He left the sheets covering his body fall to the ground, gripped the man by the sleeves of his robe and shook him violently.
"You son of a bitch! You took pictures of me like that!? How could you, huh!? You're going to blackmail me now? What the actual fuck is wrong with you, Mark!? Seriously, why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you? We used to be good fucking friends, man! Yes, I am in a relationship with a man whom I love, and you might find it an aberration, but that's your problem, you don't have the right to-"
"He doesn't love you like I do, Nanon!" Mark blurted out and looked away. "I'm the one who can give you the right kind of love. The genuine and selfless love you can find in a friendship between men. You're not supposed to let a guy bend you over and fuck your ass! You're better than that, Non. Soon you will find that out, just like I did."
Nanon was taken aback by his words. What did he mean with that? Did someone submit Mark to some kind of conversion therapy before? He let go of the man abruptly and took a step away from him, he seemed to finally realize that he was completely naked in front of Mark and backed away a little more, just to stumble on the sheets on the ground. Mark quickly wrapped his arms around him to keep the singer from hitting the ground, but Mark also lost his balance, and they ended up falling on top of the other on the floor. When the door of the bedroom suddenly opened, and the person who Nanon craved to see stared at the scene before him, Nanon knew he had to put his acting mask on. Otherwise, he was going to lose everything he ever loved.
"What the fuck is going on here!?" Ohm's enraged voice echoed in the room as he marched in their direction.