The waves rolled gently against the shore, barely brushing over Pond and Phuwin's feet as they sat side by side, their legs stretched out in front of them, still soaked from hours of playing in the ocean. The sky was a masterpiece now—layers of peach and rose gold melting into the darker blues above, the kind of sunset that made everything seem softer, quieter like the world had finally decided to exhale.
Phuwin leaned back on his hands, tilting his head toward the horizon, his wet hair falling slightly into his eyes. The golden light framed him like something out of a dream—his skin glowing warm, the wind tugging at his shirt, and his eyes, always so alive, reflecting the hues of the sky like they held it within them.
Pond glanced at him.
Then looked again.
And then couldn't stop looking.
There was a strange flutter in his chest that wasn't from running or laughing or playing tag. It was something heavier, gentler. Something that settled deep in his ribs and held him still.
Phuwin noticed. Of course, he did.
He turned, catching Pond's gaze with a small, knowing smile. "What's wrong?" he asked, voice soft. "You keep staring at me."
Pond blinked as if just realizing he'd been caught. "I—uh…" He scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "It's nothing. I was just… thinking."
Phuwin lifted a brow, smirk tugging at his lips. "About me?"
Pond huffed out a quiet laugh and nodded, looking back at the waves. "Yeah. You look…" He paused, searching for the word, then turned back to him slowly. "You look almost serene…otherworldly…in this lighting. I would really like to paint this scene."
Phuwin blinked, surprised. "Paint?"
Pond nodded again, cheeks flushing slightly. "I mean, I can't paint that well…need more practice. I mostly sketch. But if I could, I'd paint you right now. With a light like this. The way you're sitting, the way the sun hits your face. It's just…" He trailed off, then shrugged. "Perfect."
Phuwin leaned in a little, the smirk still playing on his lips. "And what kind of eyes am I looking at you with?"
The question made Pond freeze. He hadn't realized how close Phuwin had gotten until now—their shoulders almost touching, Phuwin's voice low, teasing, but still gentle enough to make Pond's stomach twist in that nervous, thrilling way.
Pond looked away, flustered. "I… I can't describe them. They're just…" He let out a breath and shook his head, smiling down at his hands buried in the sand. "I just want to remember this version of you. The one right here, in this moment."
The sea shimmered like glass under the last rays of the sun, turning more silver than gold now as dusk slowly embraced the horizon. Pond leaned back on his elbows, still watching Phuwin, and for a long moment, neither of them said a word.
Then, with a soft chuckle, Phuwin tilted his head and asked, "Did you bring your sketchbooks here too? At the beach?"
Pond looked over, lips curling into a lopsided smile. "Nope," he said, almost sheepishly. "Didn't think I'd need them. It's still inside my suitcase."
Phuwin gave him a playful nudge with his shoulder. "And yet you're sitting here talking about painting me."
Pond shrugged, then glanced at him again, more serious this time. "I don't need a sketchbook. Your image is already in my head. Captured in my eyes forever." His voice was quiet but sure.
Phuwin's smile softened, turning gentle, like the waves brushing over their toes. "You remember me that clearly?" he asked, eyes searching Pond's face. "Like… all the little details?"
Pond's gaze dropped to the sand for a second before rising again, meeting Phuwin's eyes. "I do. I remember everything about you."
Phuwin didn't speak for a moment. Then, with a curious light in his eyes, he leaned in just a little. "Do you love me that much?"
Pond blinked, caught off guard. The question landed softly, but it echoed loudly in his chest. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, trying to find the right words—any words.
"I don't know how to explain love," he said finally, his voice low, honest. "Or what I feel exactly… But every time I look at you—everything else just… fades away. It's like nothing else matters at that moment. Just you."
Phuwin inhaled softly, eyes holding Pond's gaze.
"It's not just your face," Pond continued, quieter now. "It's the way you smile when you think no one's watching. The way your voice changes when you're excited. The way you fake being annoyed but can't stop smiling anyway." He gave a small, nervous laugh. "All of that... it just sticks with me. Like my brain refuses to let go of any part of you."
Phuwin was still watching him, no teasing smile now, just warmth and something far deeper. "That's more than enough, you know," he said gently.
"It doesn't matter where I am," he murmured, eyes still fixed on Phuwin's, "or when. My whole world just… stops. And it's like you're the sun and I'm the Earth. I don't know how else to say it—I just feel like I'm always meant to orbit around you."
Phuwin's eyes widened for a beat, then softened into something that almost looked dangerous—like affection so overwhelming it threatened to spill over. He exhaled slowly, his voice a breath above a whisper. "If you keep saying things like that… how do you expect me to hold myself back?"
Pond's heart thudded in his chest, loud and wild, and as soon as he realized what he'd just said, his cheeks turned pink. He quickly tried to turn his head, to hide, to pretend he didn't just lay himself bare like that.
But Phuwin didn't let him.
His hand came up gently, cupping Pond's cheek with the lightest touch, fingers warm and careful against his skin. He turned Pond's face back toward him, holding his gaze with eyes that shimmered in the last traces of daylight.
"Do you want to kiss me?" Phuwin asked softly, so close now that Pond could feel the words against his skin more than hear them.
There was no hesitation in Pond's reply. "I'm never going to say no to that."
And then there was no space between them.
Pond leaned in the final inch and kissed him—no slow build-up, no hesitation, just the sudden, crashing certainty of it. Like a wave that had waited too long to break. His hands found Phuwin's shoulders, fingers curling slightly as their lips met, warm and a little salty from the sea air. Phuwin responded instantly, one hand still cradling Pond's cheek, the other finding the back of his neck and holding him close like he never wanted to let go.
The world blurred. The sand, the waves, the voices of their friends somewhere behind them—none of it mattered. There was only this. Only Phuwin.
Only them.