The singer responded to that passionate roar coming from Ohm's throat with equal thirst. Their hearts danced in unison, when Nanon's arm wrapped around the older's neck, and Ohm's circled the younger's waist. The intensity of their embrace drove their bodies to hit the door behind the singer.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ohm broke the kiss, and touched the top of his lover's head. Their noses were so close that all they could breathe was the fragrance of each other.
"Yeah, yeah." Nanon was panting, but he managed to smile a little before lunging for the older's mouth again. Ohm dodged the contact, yet, held both sides of his face gently.
"Wait, wait." Ohm licked his lips and decided to be half-honest at last. "I want this, I want it as much as you do. I want us back together in every possible way. Gosh, I crave to feel you inside and out...You have no idea, Non. But yeah, I'm kind of afraid of screwing this up again. I feel that we can go a little bit further and see if we're mentally equipped to start over again, but without haste." Ohm caressed his cheek and placed a peck on his forehead and nose. "I love you too much, and the last thing I want is to ruin our second chance." He added sincerely, locking eyes with the singer, who simply nodded and pulled the older into a hug.
"I love you too." Nanon whispered and stood on his toes just to rest his head on the older's shoulder. "I suppose we can save the cake for later. I'm no totally against the idea of having shabu-shabu, so take me out now before I change my mind."
Ohm chuckled and ruffled his lover's hair. Nanon unwillingly disentangled himself from him and took his hand in his. "Lead the way." He said as he pointed to the door. The older gave him his 5000k smile, and opened the door.
"I promise you it will be an unforgettable evening."
Nanon sighed and glanced at the bed briefly. "This restaurant has to be top notch, I'm not easily impressed, you know."
"Wait and see." Ohm winked at him and they both left the hotel.
Nanon was astonished by the birthday surprise. He couldn't believe his mom and Nonnie were there with all the staff that travelled with them. Being with his family on that special date was indeed very important to him, and he clearly showed that the moment he hugged Ning and kissed his sister's hair. He cried a bit, while thanking all those involved in that celebration, and whispered a shy 'I love you' in Ohm's ear. His lover said it back, of course. The final match of the World Cup had already started, and everybody decided to watch it on the TV of the restaurant while having a few drinks. It was the perfect combination, football, Ohm, and his family. Nanon was overflowing with happiness, especially when everybody sang to him happy birthday in a broken Mandarin, and got him another cake. As soon as an enthusiastic Nanon blew up the candles, a tipsy Ohm pulled the singer to him and was unable to let go of him for a long minute. He kept saying he loved him in front of the whole restaurant, and he didn't give a damn about what other people would think. Nanon hugged him back and bathed on his warmth. At that moment, he knew, once again, that their magic would never fade away.
Every single goal was a reason for them to hold and hype each other. That celebration of the final World Cup match and Nanon's birthday was also a celebration of two soul mates reconnection. Nonnie was the only one there who knew how much they missed that physical contact, and how much they deserved a reason to laugh and rejoice in each other's arms.
"Are you two back together for good?" Nonnie asked her brother discreetly when she suddenly came up behind him and leaned her chin on his shoulder.
"We're getting there. Just taking things slow for now." Nanon replied, as he eyed the fast asleep actor beside him. Ohm was never one to hold his liquor, and even a little amount of alcohol was able to knock him out too quickly.
"I see... Well, judging by the state of him, you won't be getting any more cakes from him tonight anyway, bro." She grinned and dashed back to her seat. She knew Nanon would probably scold her for teasing him that way, but since the girl was able to get back to their mother's side too fast, he just blushed and shook his head at her. Then he glanced at Ohm again. The older rested his head on the wood surface of the table without a care in the world. He slept as if he knew that there was no safer place for him in the world than Nanon's side. The singer touched his hair and brushed a few strands of it away from his face just to admire the handsomeness of the man he loved. He leaned on the older and he would've kissed his cheek right there if his mother hadn't asked him to order a bottle of water. The restaurant was packed, and all waiters seemed to be busy, so the birthday boy just stood up and went to get the water himself at the bar. His Mandarin wasn't good, so he just put into practice the English he knew that could work in any country.
"Two bottles of water, please." He said to the bartender and smiled.
"My niece is a great fan of yours, can you please give me your autograph?" The woman asked excitedly in Mandarin, and gave the singer a pen and a piece of paper. Nanon looked at her completely lost.
"She probably forgot that it's the other one who speaks Mandarin. She wants an autograph for her niece." A person sitting at a nearby table translated to Thai what she had said to him. The singer immediately gave her his best smile and quickly wrote his signature on the paper. She thanked him in English and handed him the bottles of water.
Nanon thanked her too, and walked to the table of the person who had helped him understand what the woman had asked. Since the stranger spoke in flawlessly Thai, Nanon was ready to invite the fellow compatriot to his lively table, just to thank him for his aid.
"Sawadee-"
Nanon choked on his greeting as he immediately recognized the man sitting at the table.
"Oh, what should we drink tonight, Nong? Since we're not in Korea, how about some Kaoliang?"
"I know you." Nanon was clearly weirded out at that point. "What is this? Have you been following me?"
"What kind of creep do you think I am?" The man frowned at him. "My job requires me to travel a lot. I should be the one asking you that. You could be the one following me around. What's you excuse?"
"I've been travelling a lot because of work too." Nanon replied impatiently, as he placed both bottles of water on the man's table. "But this can't be just a coincidence. You do know who I am, right? Did someone on the staff put you up to this? Is this some kind of prank?
"I really don't know anyone on your staff, kid." The man said in a bored tone. "Just go back to your party and your celebrity boyfriend." He snickered, when he saw Nanon's eyes grow larger.
"What did you say?!" An alarmed Nanon asked, as he sat on one of the empty chairs at the man's table.
"Relax, should I say bad buddy then? I didn't mean to upset you." The man gave him a malicious look and started to scroll down his phone, suddenly ignoring the singer's presence completely.
"Who are you?" An uneasy Nanon asked, recalling what Film said about cases of fanatic people stalking celebrities. He wondered if that shit could be happening to him.
"Ananda, I've already told you my name." The man said, without looking up to meet his eyes.
"You have my full attention now, Ananda. If you wanted me to take notice of you, congratulations, you've succeeded. What do you want from me?" The singer demanded in a rather unfriendly voice.
"What are you willing to give me?" The man asked calmly.
"Since we're in a restaurant, what about a few beers?" Nanon retorted, as he stared hard at the man. During therapy, he was learning to work on ways to deal with manipulative individuals, and how to not let them intimidate him. He truly hoped he was mentally prepared for whatever threat that man could throw at him.
"You don't want to do that now. It's your birthday. You have people waiting for you." The man reminded him casually, but Nanon ignored his comment.
"When we met at that bar in Seoul, it wasn't just a coincidence, right?" Nanon pushed, convinced that he couldn't leave that table without a knowing the man's real intentions.
"How come you're so naïve and forgetful at the same time?" Ananda scoffed.
"I don't understand." A nervous Nanon exhaled. "What's your deal, Phi?"
"You still think that we first met at that bar in Seoul?" The man cocked his head to the side, and arched an eyebrow. Nanon was beyond puzzled now.
"I don't recall meeting you before that night, I can't-"
"I was at the hospital with my cousin when I saw this crazy scene of his celebrity friend having a fit next to his bed. So before I intervened and called the nurses, I left my phone on the only window of the room recording the whole thing." Ananda said at once.
An appalled Nanon gasped. "You?!"
"I showed up at the room afterwards with doctors and the hospital staff, but you were so fucking out of your mind that the only person you were able to listen to was your mother." Ananda added, in a reproachful tone. "Were you on something, or you're usually that arrogant?"
"Why would you record something like that? Why put it online?" Nanon gave the man an unreadable look. A wave of dread washed over him as soon as Ananda said he was related to Mark, but the singer did his best to keep his feelings in check. If the man was indeed Mark's cousin, Nanon could foresee some conflicts ahead, and he didn't plan on behaving like a victim this time.
"I thought you would be more shocked. You're acting, perhaps?" The man smirked, and suddenly that smirk reminded Nanon of Mark and his cunning ways. However, he remained stoic in front of the man, who apparently had given up on withholding. "You know I didn't upload the whole thing on social media. I even muted the video. I had no intention of harming your reputation. My cousin likes you. He told me you're his best friend. I only wanted to see people's response regarding the content of the images there. Imagine my satisfaction when I realized that there were mostly positive comments about you and my cousin."
"Phi-"
"Just call me Ananda." The man insisted.
"Ananda, what exactly did you hear in that hospital room?" The apprehensive singer gulped, and managed not to stutter. He wondered how much the man knew about his 'friendship' with Mark and how worried he should be about his stalking tendencies.
"Everything. Especially the part you said you hated him and wished him dead." The man said calmly and gave him a knowing look. The singer's indifferent mask quickly slipped from his face and the man noticed that. Nanon started sweating, but quickly tried to explain himself.
"Listen, your cousin and I had a few issues before that car accident, and unfortunately what you saw there-"
"Don't worry. I am aware that you're not to blame for what happened to him. I'm not showing that video to the police, or anyone else. I bet Mark will love to watch it once he wakes up. So dramatic! You do deserve all the awards available in the film industry. 'Just give me my old friend back!' Ananda mocked Nanon, by repeating, in a derisive tone, the same sentence the singer screamed at a comatose Mark at the hospital. Then he clapped his hands exaggeratedly for a second, and then stopped abruptly. "You have no idea how many times I watched that shit. I might become your fan someday." He added in a less humorous voice.
"I wasn't acting, you asshole. You have no idea what he did to me, and-"
"I know what your boyfriend did to my cousin!" Ananda hissed and Nanon's heart almost stopped. "Mark didn't crawl out of that burning car! I was the one who took him out of there and called an ambulance. If I hadn't been there, my cousin would be dead, just like you wanted."
"No, you don't understand. It wasn't like that, Ohm was just chasing him, but it was Mark's reckless driving that caused that collision with the lamppost. You can't accuse someone without proof and-"
"Shut up, Nanon." Ananda said in a cold manner, but Nanon couldn't stop trying to defend his lover.
"Mark is a psychopath! I don't know what he told you about us, but he's the one who brought it all to himself, he-"
"He roofied you and took pictures of your naked body. I know that, because I saw all of his precious materials." Ananda cut him off and snickered at the horrified look on the singer's face. "Relax, I'm not using those against you either. You're lucky that Mark likes you. He chose to save you, so I won't interfere. It's his business, not mine. But if you weren't his private project, I would ruin you." Ananda confessed acerbically, as he gave Nanon a hard stare.
"You're his accomplice. You're the person, he had to call at noon when-"
"When you and that stupid friend of yours tied him up in a bedroom?" Ananda scowled, and shook his head at the singer. "Amateurs. You two would never be able to handle Mark by yourselves. Honestly, you never held him captive. He held both of you captive without you even realizing it. He knows how to make people tick, and he knows how to use that in his favor. I taught him everything he knows, not only how to play badminton." A proud smile brightened the man's features, as realization hit Nanon.
"Oh my God... You're the guy who tortured him in a basement! The president of the badminton club at his school." the singer froze on the spot. The heinously sad tale Mark had awkwardly narrated to him at Chimon's house had suddenly become reality before him.
"How do you know about that?" The man sounded surprised for a brief second.
"You fucked him up!" Nanon's eyes watered. He quickly drew the conclusion that the man before him was even worse than the one lying in a hospital bed. Ananda was the source of Mark's unhealthy behavior. He remembered how Mark denied his role in that story, and he did believe that the former badminton player was the villain of that tale all along, but now, despite all the resentment he felt for Mark, he could only pity his old friend.
"I fucked his ass pretty good, for sure, but now, now that he's changed, he lives with a purpose, and he's no longer a faggot." Ananda corrected him and grinned manically. "I never thought he would talk about the old days with anyone. You must be really special to him, Non." The man cocked his head to the side and eyed the singer intensely.
"You're his cousin! And you were also supposed to be his lover, a Phi he admired. How could you do that to him?"
"I'm not here to discuss my relationship with my cousin with you. I only aim to get justice for him."
"Justice? What do you even know about justice!? You traumatized a school kid! You raped him for money, and-"
"Lower your tone!" Ananda warned him briskly, and Nanon swallowed his criticism as the man snapped at him. "When Mark told me about you, I imagined that things would go smoothly. I thought that the kind and malleable Nanon he described to me wouldn't put up much of a fight. I thought my cousin would successfully drain the homosexuality out of you and turn you into a decent human being. But then you involved that boyfriend of yours in the whole equation. Do you think that's fair? How can you even mention the word justice when my poor cousin was outnumbered, chased down the streets of Bangkok, until he lost control of his car? Did you know that when he feared for his life, he called me while he was driving, just to tell me that he had failed me? That he was incapable of making me proud?"
"Proud?! You're sick!"
"No, you are. And all Mark wanted to do was to give you the antidote for this poison coursing through your veins."
"Do you think you cured him of his homosexuality? Are you even 'cured'? You might be married and have a kid, but this won't change who you are. These feelings never change, they never go away! There's no 'cure' available for people like us. Because loving a man is not an illness, and you know it!" Nanon spat, refusing to believe what he was hearing.
"This is not a debate, Nanon." The man exhaled impatiently, dismissing everything the singer insisted telling him. "Listen, let's be practical here. No more beating around the bush. As you already know, I have another kid on the way. I need money. And you're going to give me any amount I ask you in order to keep your hubby out of jail, right?" Ananda raised an eyebrow at him. The singer pondered the question for less than a minute.
"How much?" Nanon asked at last. The man grinned victoriously.
"I see you're determined to save your lover. You don't even know if I have ways to prove that Pawat is responsible for-"
"I want the photos and the video too. Everything Mark used to terrorize me. No more blackmailing. You claim you have his 'precious materials', so hand it to me. I'll double the money." Nanon struggled to make that new nightmare go away. He couldn't let another psycho come between Ohm and him again. He wanted to solve that issue right there, no matter the cost.
"No. Those are Mark's souvenirs. They're priceless. Money won't be able to cover it. I'll need something else in return." Ananda's grin became larger and meaner.
"Name it." Nanon's defiant tone was solid. However, before the man could give him a response, they were interrupted.
"Excuse me. Nong, what are you doing here? Everyone is asking about you. Have you forgotten where your table is? Your mom is wondering if you went to buy those bottles of water in Bangkok. You got us worried for a second." P'Kay, Nanon's hair stylist approached the pair curiously and patted the singer's shoulder. "Who's your friend?" He asked in a protective tone as his eyes travelled from Nanon to the man across from him. Nanon swallowed, suddenly unable to answer that question.
"Oh, I'm just a proud father of a 9 year old GreenRed. I wanted to congratulate this brilliant young man for his birthday and get a picture with him just to show my daughter. Sorry to keep him for too long. Please, Nong, go back to your party." Ananda said in a kind voice. He could fool anyone with that good-natured expression etched on his face. P'Kay couldn't help smiling at the man. Nanon knew then that Mark had indeed learned from the best. Ananda was a puppet master and opportunist.
"Did you already take the picture for the little one?" P'Kay innocently asked, as the man stood up from his seat.
"Yes. This amiable Nong did not refuse my request. He's such a polite and generous kid. Now I know why the whole Thailand loves him." He smiled gently, and Nanon couldn't help but stare at him in awe.
"Shall we go back, Non?" P'Kay hurried to say, urging the singer to stand up. "Ohm might wake up and start crying if he notices you're not there. That kid is especially sensitive tonight."
"Yeah, be with your loved ones for now. I'll see you around, boy." Ananda waved him goodbye as P'Kay grabbed the water bottles from the table, said farewell to the man and dragged a speechless Nanon back to his birthday celebration.
The singer turned his head around just to make sure the man would still be there to tell him what he wanted once his birthday celebration was over. However, Ananda was nowhere to be seen anymore.
Nanon did his best to pretend that everything was alright the rest of the night. When everyone left the restaurant, Nonnie, Ning and P'Kwang decided to stop by a mall, but Nanon refused to join them with the excuse that he had to look after his drunk friend. P'Kay helped him to bring Ohm back to his hotel room since his lover was completely out.
To Nanon's astonishment, as soon as P'Kay wished Nanon good night and left him alone with Ohm, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. The call was from an anonymous number, but the singer was able to guess who was trying to reach him at that hour. Nanon recalled that he was dumb enough to give his real number to that seemingly harmless stranger he met at a bar in Seoul.
When Nanon accepted the call, the first word the man uttered sent shivers to his spine.
"Ohm."
"What?!" The singer narrowed his eyes.
"I didn't get a chance to tell you what I wanted at the restaurant. Now you know. I want your man, Nanon."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The singer balled his hands into fists, as he eyed the sleeping actor lying on the bed near him. He would not hand Ohm over to anyone, ever.
"Exactly what you heard. I want one night with Ohm Pawat in a hotel room. And yes, in case you're wondering, I will fuck him once I get him there."
"No. No way. We don't have a deal. That's out of the question." Nanon said promptly, gritting his teeth. "There must be something else I can do-"
"Sorry, Non. You're not my type. I like the alpha male type. Plus I've never fucked a celebrity. I'm anxious to know how it feels like-"
"Fuck you! It's never gonna happen! He's my boyfriend! How dare you!?" The fuming singer exclaimed and decided to finish that argument inside the bathroom. The last thing he wanted was to disturb his lover's peaceful slumber because of Ananda.
"Maybe Ohm thinks differently. Why don't we ask what he prefers? You're willing to pay me good money to keep him out of jail, I bet he won't mind being my bitch for one night if it means freeing you from all the blackmailing Mark will probably try to resume once he wakes up."
"Don't even think about it! Do not contact Ohm! And don't even dream about Mark's recovery! That motherfucker is gone for good. He's probably burning in hell already, waiting for you." Nanon lost his composure completely. The man seemed to enjoy that. Nanon could hear his chuckles through the phone.
"I wish I could see the expression on your face right now! Such an angelic features marred by despair! But your nature doesn't match such harsh words. Rudeness is beneath you, Non." Ananda clicked his tongue. "You still sound cute even when you're angry."
"Why are you doing this!? Why can't you just accept the money I'm willing to give you?" Nanon asked in disgust. Being a target was one thing, but watching Ohm fall into the hands of a maniac was another. He would rather die than let such a tragedy happen.
"Because Ohm beat up my cousin in a fucking alley. Ohm chased his car, and put my cousin in that hospital bed. Ohm is a faggot. He made you a faggot, and he's probably making many other men turn into a sinner just like him. He has to pay for all he's been doing. Ohm is evil."
"No. You are. And if you try anything, and I mean, anything against him, I will find your wife and daughter and let them know who you really are. Then I'll go to the police, and have you and your deranged cousin arrested. I am not kidding, I will-"
"Empty threats, darling. We both know you have too much to lose. The two of you." Ananda scoffed. "Unlike you, I have nothing to lose. The only thing that mattered to me is half dead in a hospital bed." He added, in a sombre tone. Nanon sat down on the bathroom floor and struggled to process everything that was happening at that moment.
"Please, I beg of you. Take me. You can do whatever you want with me. I won't put up a fight. You wanna sleep with a celebrity, right? I'm as famous as he is now. I'll do anything you tell me to. I can't promise I'll do it right. I'm not largely experienced in this, but I can learn-"
"Dear lord! Are you whoring yourself to me? How desperate are you?" The man chuckled wickedly.
"I love him. Please leave him alone." Nanon begged, and the man's voice turned sour.
"Isn't it beautiful? The destruction of such a strong bond? Two lovers and one unfortunate fate. I bet I'll make him forget all about you once I get my hands on him. I love breaking the defective ones."
"Phi! Don't do it. He didn't do it on purpose. He's not a bad guy." Nanon couldn't contain his tears anymore. "He didn't intend to really hurt Mark! It was an accident, and-"
"He took my cousin from me. Now I'll take him from you. And by doing that I'll be punishing both of you."
"You can't tear us apart. Even if you sleep with one of us, we will still have each other, our love will remain, because nothing will change-"
"Ask Mark. I changed him in one night. He doesn't love me anymore. He stopped loving me in that basement. He's more attracted to the pure ones now, but he just wants to change them, not love them."
"P'Ananda-"
"Stop crying, and wake him up. Bring Ohm to me, and let's end this once and for all." The man said menacingly. "That's the only way you can free the two of you."
"No. Keep the photos and the video. If your cousin ever wakes up, let him do whatever the hell he wants with them. I don't mind it. We'll cancel this option. I will just give you the money, and you keep your mouth shut about the car accident."
"I don't want to cancel this option. As a matter of fact, since you're giving me such a hard time, I will change my proposal. Keep your goddamn money. By the looks of it, your boyfriend must be very good in bed, and that's why you don't want me to play with him. Well, fuck that, Nanon. I've gotta have a piece of that Chittsawangdee ass. Now Ohm will have to be my bitch until Mark wakes up. And you know why he will do that? Because I will out you both to the press if he doesn't." Ananda threatened.
"Go ahead. Out us if you dare then. Mark already used that one. Save your breath, it's not gonna work a second time. My relationship with Ohm can survive this kind of scandal." Nanon said firmly and wiped his tears. The man went silent for a long second before he spoke again.
"You do love him, don't you?! Geez, this is getting more interesting by the minute." Ananda snorted amusedly. "We'll chat more later, okay?"
"What?! Where are you going?! We're not finished here!" Nanon hissed.
"Relax, I'm not gonna do anything for now. Something came up, and I can't waste my time chatting with you the whole night. Remember that I'm a family guy, and I have my responsibilities." Ananda said cynically.
"What about our negotiation?" Nanon insisted.
"I'll think about it. Actually, I do need the money, you know. You can have your lover' ass all to yourself. I just wanted to see how far you're willing to go for him. You're a fighter, Non. You're nothing like Mark described you. I am genuinely impressed. Not everyone is able to do that."
"Do not contact Ohm and you'll get you money." A less tense Nanon warned him, hoping that he could keep Ohm and himself safe that way.
"I'll text you the initial amount and my bank account details once I make up my mind." Ananda said shortly and hung up on him.
Nanon took a deep breath and glanced at his hands. They weren't shaking or sweating. He wasn't about to hyperventilate, or burst out crying. No panic attack, no anxiety episode. He thought he could win that battle by himself. Nothing could be worse than having one of his best friends harass him sexually. Ananda didn't betray, nor hurt, nor disappointed him like Mark did. The singer knew exactly what to expect from the man, and that fact made things easier for him. Ananda didn't conquer his love and friendship just to tear it apart in the most grotesque way. Ananda might've taught Mark how to be insidious and detestable, but Ananda revealed his true colors on their 4th meeting. Nanon didn't have to lament losing a friend who had turned into a fiend. Fighting Ananda was less difficult, because he had never loved him.
"There you are. What are you doing on the floor? Meung, you're wasted too? I've gotta pee so bad." A plastered Ohm suddenly entered the bathroom and proceeded to urinate without a care in the world. He was staggering, but he was able to do his deed. Even drunk, Ohm was still a person who liked to keep things clean and neat. The older actor closed the toilet lid and flushed after he finished his business. He probably thought that such a meticulous action could help stop bacteria from spreading in the bathroom. The scene was so random that Nanon couldn't help shaking his head in amusement.
Nanon was impressed by the way his lover approached the sink, washed his hands with soap and dried them on a towel. His lover was a walking contradiction. Ohm could be painfully careful about small things, but at the same time quite reckless about others, and for some reason, Nanon loved that about him. There was no ordinary detail about him that the singer disliked. Even in his moments of impulsive anger, and exhausting stubbornness, Ohm was unique, and simply perfect for him. He knew he would do anything in his power to protect his boyfriend, and keep him in his life. He wouldn't mind losing a fortune, just to keep him that way.
"What?" Ohm slurred, as he noticed the singer's attentive eyes on him.
"If you weren't so drunk, I would make love to you all night long." Nanon smiled, as he stood up from the floor and hugged him.
"Why? Seeing me pee turns you on?" The older was slightly puzzled. The singer chuckled.
"Everything about you turns me on." Nanon confessed.
"I can make Pawat junior available for you. You know." Ohm giggled on Nanon's shoulder.
"Nah! We're taking things slow, remember?" Nanon whispered, and held him tighter. "We're not letting anything go wrong this time. I promise you. We're gonna be fine."
That last line he swore to himself.