Reach Out and Touch
Summary: Despite asking him a million times, Prapai will never actually admit that he wishes Sky were more affectionate in public. Until he gets drunk one night and accidentally lets it slip. It’s fine, though. Sky has a plan.
“P’Payu,” Rain whined, disproportionately distraught at the fact that Payu’s gaze had left him for nearly a minute.
“Sorry, sorry,” Payu apologized, pecking him on the cheek in apology. He turned back around, scanning for their waiter in the crowded bar. Rain went back to pouting, and Sky rolled his eyes. Rain leaned into Payu’s side, brightening immediately when Payu put an arm around his shoulders.
The waiter appeared with Payu’s drink, apologizing for the delay and enduring Rain’s mistrustful gaze from over Payu’s shoulder. A moment later, Rain was practically climbing into Payu’s lap, his face buried in Payu’s neck.
Sky snorted, unable to help himself, and heard Prapai do the same. Rain always seemed to get like this when he was drunk, needy and whining if Payu diverted even a speck of his attention elsewhere.
“You never do this with me,” Prapai said in a low, teasing voice, leaning in close enough that Rain wouldn’t overhear. Sky rolled his eyes, aiming a light kick at Pai under the table and giving him a withering look. Prapai just beamed at him, swooping in to plant a kiss on Sky’s cheek and ignoring his offended squawk.
“P’Payu,” Rain whined, tilting his chin up for a kiss. Payu obliged him easily, and Sky wished, not for the first time, that he hadn’t volunteered to be the designated driver. Rain and Payu were really much more bearable when he was drunk.
“Skyyyy,” Prapai said in a perfect imitation of Rain, leaning into Sky’s space with a pout. Sky snorted at that, flicking Pai’s nose but pressing their legs together under the table anyway.
They ordered a few more drinks, Sky continuing to opt for water while wondering why he had agreed to do so. Prapai began scooting closer to him at some point, clearly aiming for subtlety and missing the mark spectacularly. Lucky for him, Sky could only find it endearing. When he had finally closed the distance between them, he snuck an arm around Sky’s waist, pulling it back hesitantly when Sky automatically tensed up.
It wasn’t intentional, just a leftover reflex from being with Gun, when getting pulled in by the waist had never meant anything good. Even so, it was obvious that Prapai was feeling wounded, his emotions all the more obvious given how much he’d had to drink. Sky felt a little stab of guilt and leaned into Prapai’s side, hoping he wasn’t feeling unwanted.
Of course, this meant that Pai took it as an invitation and immediately went in for a kiss. Sky turned his face instinctively, leaving Pai’s lips to land on his cheek instead. Prapai drew back, looking uncertain and hurt, and shifted in his seat.
Sky did his best to keep his expression neutral, noting sardonically that Rain and Payu had been far too wrapped up in each other to even notice. They were definitely going to have to talk about this when they got home.
He’d brought it up before, curious due to how affectionate Prapai was in private. Pai knew how Sky felt about PDA, and he usually didn’t push. Sure, he’d sneak in a peck or grab Sky’s hand every so often, but it had never become an issue. It still left him feeling uneasy, a prickling feeling in the back of his mind that Prapai wanted things to be different. That he wanted a boyfriend he could kiss anywhere.
He’d asked, of course, but that had gone nowhere.
“I love you just the way you are,” was the usual response, followed by a forehead kiss and a loving smile.
Sky didn’t doubt that, but he was also very much aware that Prapai was dodging the question.
So. They needed to talk.
“We need to talk,” Sky told Prapai, about twelve seconds after they entered Sky’s apartment.
Prapai’s expression instantly shifted from bleary-eyed and out of it to utter panic.
“Not like that,” Sky clarified immediately, and Pai relaxed.
“Okay,” he agreed, flopping down on the couch and making grabby hands at Sky. He followed Pai over to the couch, letting himself be pulled down and cuddled.
“I feel like I upset you earlier,” Sky began, choosing his words carefully. Prapai’s hands, which had been carding through his hair, froze for a moment before resuming their movement.
“Earlier?” Pai asked, trying and failing for an even tone. He wasn’t the best actor on a good day, let alone after a few drinks.
“You know what I mean,” Sky pressed, turning in Pai’s hold so they were facing each other. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he added quietly.
Prapai’s expression shifted before he answered. “I know,” he reassured Sky, rubbing a soothing hand up and down his back. “It’s not a big deal.”
There was a moment of silence, and Sky wondered if he should leave it at that.
“Does it bother you?” he eventually asked, prepping himself for Prapai to dodge the question, as per usual.
“You never bother me,” Prapai informed him sternly before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Sky signed.
“You wouldn’t want that?” Sky questioned, holding Pai’s gaze. “For us to be affectionate around other people?”
“Of course I would.” Prapai shrugged, half-mumbling. Sky’s heart sank a little. “Who wouldn’t want that with you?” he added, his eyes closed at this point.
“Okay.” Sky let out a long breath. He glanced down at Pai, who looked to be minutes away from dropping off, and shook him by the shoulder. “Bed,” he instructed, trying to sound stern. It must have at least partially worked, as he managed to rouse Prapai from the couch and get him through most of his nighttime routine before they crawled into bed.
It took about thirty seconds before Prapai was breathing evenly, totally dead to the world around him. Sky wasn’t able to drift off so easily. He couldn’t stop thinking about Gun, as much as he wished otherwise. Memories kept coming back up, every time Gun had used him as a display, without caring at all about Sky’s comfort. Every time he had grabbed Sky in public, or let his friends do the same.
Early on, he’d had to remind himself constantly that Prapai wasn’t Gun. That he wasn’t anything like Gun. Those days were long gone, with Prapai’s presence and touch bringing nothing but comfort. Except when they were in public, apparently.
He rolled to one side, staring at Prapai’s sleeping face and making a deal with himself. He was going to try. Whatever that meant. Were they going to turn into Rain and Payu? Hopefully not. But he could at least see, at least find out if there was a way for him to stop flinching every time Pai touched him in public. He definitely deserved that much. And, fuck, Sky deserved it too, he decided.
He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Pai’s cheek before rolling over to go to sleep, a warm feeling in his chest from his decision.
The next morning, he woke up knowing it was a bad idea. Not in general, of course, but all he could do was imagine himself failing. Telling Prapai that he would be better, getting his hopes up, and then having them come crashing down again.
“So don't tell him,” Rain suggested, through a mouthful of eggs.
Sky blinked at him. “Don’t tell him?”
“Duh.” Rain rolled his eyes. “Just do it. If you succeed, he’ll be thrilled. If you fail, he won’t even know, and you can try again in a few months.”
Sky blinked at him again.
“What?” Rain asked, when it became clear that he wasn’t going to say anything.
“Is that…allowed?” Sky said, unable to come up with a better word.
Rain blinked at him.
“Allowed?” he finally asked, sounding incredulous.
“I mean, I can’t just be grabbing him in public unannounced,” Sky hissed, his cheeks flushing red at the thought.
“I’m pretty sure he would be cool with that,” Rain countered, snorting into his coffee.
Sky kicked him under the table and considered it. It would keep Pai from getting his hopes up. Plus, it had been clear from his demeanor that morning that he hadn’t remembered telling Sky anything. He didn’t really want to see Pai’s face when he realized he had insinuated that Sky should change something about himself. He was never particularly pleased whenever anyone else did so.
“Fine,” he decided. “I’ll try.”
“You could fuck him at his office again,” Rain suggested.
Sky kicked him under the table.
-----
“Hey!” Pai called, half-running over before pulling him into a tight hug.
“Hey,” he echoed, his voice muffled from where his face was pressed into Pai’s neck. He pulled back an inch, meeting Prapai’s eyes for a split second before pecking him on the cheek. Pai looked pleasantly surprised, pulling him in even closer. Sky did his best not to blush, feeling a strange mix of uncertainty and pride.
For a moment, anyway. A second later, he glanced over at Payu, who had lifted Rain bodily off the ground and was kissing him soundly. Definitely not something he was comfortable with in front of other people, but especially at the race track.
He looked back at Prapai, giving him a distracted smile and straightening his jacket. He spared another glance at Rain and Payu, who looked like they were about two seconds away from absorbing into one another.
Whatever. Next time.
-----
Prapai was waving enthusiastically, as though Sky wouldn’t have noticed him otherwise. He was on his bike, waiting to drive Sky home after his classes.
“See you later,” Ple told him, nodding in Pai’s direction.
“Bye!” Sig called as Sky left, waving over his shoulder.
“Hey,” Sky greeted his boyfriend, snorting when Pai pulled him in by his hand. He went easily, hesitating for a moment before he leaned in for a quick kiss. Pai looked surprised when he pulled back, and Sky hid a smile, ignoring his friends whistling at them in the background.
“Are we going?” he asked, climbing on the back of Pai’s motorcycle. “P’Pai?” he asked, after a moment of silence.
“Yep, we're going. We’re going!”
-----
Holding hands was not stressful, Sky observed. Shocking.
No one had seemed to notice, either, which made him feel slightly odd for having been so trepidatious about going for it. Prapai hadn’t even reacted much, just taking his hand easily and running his thumb over the back of Sky's hand, the way he always did.
“What a cute couple!” the stall vendor, an older lady, gushed at them, a wide smile on her face.
“Thank you,” Prapai returned easily, beaming at Sky. “He’s the cute one,” he whispered conspiratorially, leaning in slightly. Sky did his best not to flush at that, and the woman laughed brightly.
Look at that. No big deal.
-----
Some things were still a big deal, Sky realized a few days later. They were at a picnic with most of their classmates, Prapai and Payu having tagged along as usual. Rain was laying down with his head in Payu’s lap, eyes closed blissfully as Payu played with his hair. Sky, on the other hand, was leaning against Pai, his back pressed up against Pai’s chest, and doing his best to deal with it.
It would have been fine just the two of them, he thought, desperately trying to relax into the hold. Even if it had just been Rain and Payu, he might’ve been okay. He glanced over to see that Rain was now in Payu’s lap, their noses pressed up against each other. They barely counted as an audience, he decided, given how infrequently their attention was on anyone but each other.
He pushed back into Prapai’s arms, taking a deep breath and ordering himself to relax. Always an effective tactic. Pai leaned forward a little, pressing a soft kiss to his neck, and he did his best to ignore a shiver. That, along with the fact that he could practically feel everyone’s eyes on him had him pulling away. He grabbed a piece of fruit for plausible deniability, offering one to Pai as well. He took it happily, seemingly unaware of the miniature crisis Sky was having. That he’d been having for a couple weeks now.
It was fine, Sky reminded himself.
He was making progress.
-----
He had made absolutely no progress.
That was all that was going through his mind as he watched Payu press Rain up against the bar, essentially devouring his face. Sky let out a small sigh, grabbing their drinks from the bartender and weaving his way back to their booth.
“Hey,” he said to Pai, trying to keep his tone bright as he slid him his drink.
“Hey,” Pai returned, pulling him into the booth by his waist. Sky pecked him on the cheek before taking a sip of his drink. He glanced back over at the bar to see that Rain and Payu showed absolutely no signs of moving anytime soon.
“You okay?” Pai asked, pulling him in closer so that Sky’s head was leaning on his shoulder. Sky just hummed an affirmative, closing his eyes and nuzzling further into Pai’s shoulder.
“I’m fine,” he added, when Pai didn’t say anything. He pulled back an inch, seeing the look of worry on Pai’s face and shook his head, laughing under his breath. “I’m fine,” he reiterated, more firmly this time, pressing a thumb to Prapai’s forehead to smooth out his worry lines.
“I’m allowed to ask,” Pai defended himself gamely, stealing a sip of Sky’s drink. Sky just rolled his eyes, actually relaxing into the moment and taking a swig of Pai’s drink.
Rain and Payu tumbled back over ten minutes later, popping Sky’s temporary bubble of optimism. He didn’t usually mind their PDA so much, but it was different when he was actively trying to be more affectionate with Prapai.
He probably hadn’t even noticed anything different, Sky thought glumly, watching Rain bully his way into Payu’s lap.
-----
“Something’s different,” Prapai informed him. Sky blinked. “Is everything okay?” Prapai continued, when he didn’t get a response. “You seemed kinda upset at the bar.”
Sky opened his mouth, completely ready to respond that he was fine, before he closed it again.
“I’m…” he trailed off. Was he fine? Mostly.
“Sky?” Pai prompted, raising an eyebrow.
“I was a little upset earlier,” Sky allowed. Prapai waited for him to finish, and he went on, “I was trying to…you remember last time we were there?”
“Sure,” Prapai agreed, brow furrowing in slight confusion.
“We talked after,” Sky said. “You were drunk.”
A look of panic appeared on Pai’s face, and Sky hurried to explain. “Not like that! You just…said something.”
The look of panic reappeared.
“Not like that,” Sky insisted, pulling Prapai down onto the couch with him. The look of panic was gone, but it had been replaced by a look of worry, which wasn’t much better. “I’m not great with PDA,” he said bluntly. “You know that. And…you just said you wished things were different.”
“What?” Prapai asked, looking crestfallen.
“You just said…it wasn’t…” Sky sighed in frustration. “I asked,” he told Prapai sternly, “if you would want us to be affectionate around other people. And you said ‘who wouldn’t want that?’, that’s all,” he explained.
“I don’t want anything about you to be different,” Prapai doubled down, looking vaguely pissed at his past, drunken self.
“I want it too,” Sky said quietly. Prapai’s expression changed instantly, cycling through a few different emotions before ending on chagrined.
“And you should have everything you want,” Pai agreed, quickly changing direction. Sky let out a snort, leaning against Pai’s side.
“Well, I tried,” Sky said bitterly, thinking back on his somewhat pathetic efforts.
“And you succeeded,” Prapai pointed out, eyes narrowing at Sky’s tone of voice.
“I did not,” Sky argued, shaking his head with a half-laugh. “Did you see Rain and Payu tonight?”
“Do you want to be Rain and Payu?” Prapai returned immediately, raising an eyebrow.
“...okay, no,” Sky admitted. “But I still—”
“Still what?” Pai interrupted. “Still made an effort? Still made a lot of progress? Still were the best boyfriend in existence?”
Sky swatted him on the arm, appreciating the sentiment despite himself.
“I’m happy with anything,” Pai told him. “I’m happy with you, even if it means we can only hold hands in secret.”
“I held hands with you at a farmers’ market!” Sky defended himself. “And I am making progress.”
“And you’re doing a great job,” Prapai reassured him, kissing him quickly.
“Thank you,” Sky said.
“I could probably help out more,” Prapai pointed out.
“What do you mean?” Sky asked.
“I’m just saying,” Pai shrugged. “If you need me to grab your ass in public, I can. For you. If you think it would help.”
Sky threw a pillow at him and went to bed.
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