The week had flown by. That was the only way Phuwin could think to describe it—one long blur of paint swatches and fabric samples and Pond's laugh echoing off walls that were still learning to feel like theirs. Four floors of estate by the water, a garden that smelled like rain and roses every morning, and a bedroom so big Phuwin still got lost crossing it in the dark.

He woke to the weight of Pond's arm across his waist and the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing against the back of his neck. For a moment he just lay there, counting the heartbeats through Pond's chest, feeling the warmth seep into his own skin. The curtains were drawn but light bled through the edges, soft and gold, the kind of morning that felt like it belonged to someone else's life.

He sat up slowly, careful not to wake him, and looked around the room. The walls were still bare in places—they hadn't finished hanging everything—but the frames that were up caught his eye. Photos of them. Some candid, some posed, all of them real. There was one of them at the beach house, Phuwin laughing mid-sentence while Pond watched him like he'd hung the moon. Another of them at the bakery, flour on both their noses, Godji's shadow in the background. A third of them asleep on the couch, tangled together, someone's phone capturing the mess of it.

Phuwin rubbed his eyes and yawned, then reached for his phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up with the date, and his thumb hovered over Godji's contact for a long moment before he pressed it.

She answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Auntie." His voice came out softer than he meant it to. "Are you coming over to get ready? Everyone else is—"

"I'll see you there, baby." Godji's voice was warm, unhurried, the same tone she used when she was kneading dough and thinking about something else entirely. "I'm not getting ready at the house today. Don't worry about me."

Phuwin's chest tightened. "Okay." He paused, the word sticking in his throat. "I miss you. That's all I wanted to ask."

There was a beat of silence on the other end, and when Godji spoke again, her voice had gone soft around the edges. "The only person you should be saying 'I love you' to today is about five hours from being your husband. Pond Naravit."

Phuwin's breath caught. "Bye, Auntie."

"Bye, baby."

The line went dead. He stared at the screen for a moment, then set the phone down and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes until the pressure built behind them. When he dropped his hands, he turned and tapped Pond's chest.

"Pond."

Pond grunted, eyes still closed.

"Pond." He tapped again, harder. "It's our wedding day. We need to start getting ready."

Pond's eyes cracked open, dark and sleep-heavy, and for a long moment he just looked at Phuwin like he was trying to remember where he was. Then the words landed, and his whole face changed. He sat up fast, the sheets pooling around his waist, and reached for Phuwin before Phuwin could move. His hands found Phuwin's face, cupped it, and pulled him into a kiss that tasted like morning breath and something sweeter underneath.

"Good morning," Pond murmured against his lips.

Phuwin kissed him back, letting himself have a second of it, the warmth of Pond's palms against his cheeks, the way Pond's thumb traced the line of his jaw like he was memorizing it. Then he pulled back, breathless and smiling despite himself.

"That's enough," he said, pushing gently at Pond's chest. "We should save the rest for later."

Pond groaned, letting his head fall back. "You're going to kill me."

"Get up." Phuwin slid off the bed, his feet finding the cool marble floor. "We have a wedding to get to."

Pond sighed and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But I'm holding you to that 'later.'"

Phuwin felt the heat creep up his neck and turned away before Pond could see it. He walked to the vanity, the mirror catching his reflection as he approached. His hair was a mess, his eyes still puffy from sleep, and the S necklace lay against his collarbone, the silver pendant catching the light. The tiny photo inside—him and Soònào, both of them laughing at something off-camera—was worn at the edges from years of handling.

His breath caught.

He reached up and touched the pendant, his fingers tracing the curve of the S, the edges of the photo. In the mirror, his own reflection stared back at him, eyes glassy.

"I really hope you'll be there," he whispered, the words barely audible even to himself. "God, I do want you to."

A tear slipped down his cheek. He wiped it with the back of his hand, then let go of the necklace, the silver swinging gently against his chest before settling.

The doorbell rang.

Phuwin blinked, the moment shattering, and turned toward the stairs. He heard Pond moving behind him, the creak of the bed, the shuffle of feet, but he didn't look back. He just went down, his bare feet padding across the marble, and pulled open the front door.

Siyh stood on the threshold, arms crossed, a grin already spreading across her face. Behind her: Tai, Mint, Jaaro, Jungkook, Taehyung, Santa, and Kioer—with his girlfriend beside him and the baby strapped to his chest, fast asleep, one tiny fist curled against his shirt.

Phuwin's voice came out shaky. "Good morning."

Siyh's grin faltered. She tilted her head, studying him. "You okay?"

"Everything's fine." He stepped back, holding the door wider. "Pond's just upstairs. You can come in."

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded and stepped past him, the others following in a wave of greetings and shuffling shoes. Santa squeezed his shoulder as he passed, and Jungkook gave him a warm smile, but Phuwin couldn't quite meet anyone's eyes.

Kioer headed upstairs with the baby, Taehyung and Santa trailing behind him, leaving Phuwin in the entryway with Siyh, Tai, Mint, Jaaro and Kioer’s girlfriend. The marble floor was cool under his feet, the morning light spilling through the open French doors and catching the dust motes floating in the air.

Siyh turned to face him, arms crossed again. "So. How are you feeling?" Her voice softened. "It's finally your wedding day."

Phuwin let out a breath that was half laugh, half something else. "I guess I'm pretty excited. I really didn't think this day would come." He looked down at his hands, at the ring on his finger, the weight of it familiar now. "Or that I'd end up here, at most."

Siyh reached out and took his hand, squeezing it. "Well, you did. And right now, you should be getting ready." She smirked. "I still can't believe Pond really let you use his credit card for anything you wanted. Like that thousand-dollar clip I'm currently carrying in my bag."

Phuwin sighed, but there was warmth in it. "That's how Pond is."

He looked past her at Tai, Mint, and Jaaro, all of them watching him with soft, expectant smiles. "I'm glad you all came."

Tai stepped forward, her voice gentle. "I haven't seen you in a while. I'm just glad you still decided to make me one of your... I don't know what to call it."

"They're technically your bridesmaids," Siyh said, deadpan, "because you're the wife of Pond Naravit, and you're usually the one getting fucked at night."

"Siyh!" Phuwin lunged forward and slapped his hand over her mouth, his face burning. "Siyh!"

Siyh's eyes crinkled with laughter behind his hand. She pulled it away, grinning. "What? It's true."

Jaaro chuckled, shaking his head. "It's about time we got him dressed so we can get to the wedding place. The beach, right? And then a huge estate beach house to dance and eat."

Phuwin smirked, dropping his hand from Siyh's face. "Right."

Upstairs, Pond was standing in front of the full-length mirror in his room, turning slightly to look at his biceps, then his abs. He flexed, watching the muscle jump, and allowed himself a small, satisfied nod.

Then something hit the back of his head.

"Ow—" He spun around. Kioer stood in the doorway, a slipper in his hand, the baby still asleep on his chest. "What the hell?"

"It's your wedding day," Kioer said flatly. "You should be getting ready. And leave before Phuwin does."

Pond rubbed the back of his head, frowning. "I'm the groom. The husband. The man of the house." He puffed his chest out. "That man."

"Shut up."

Pond smirked. "The groom should be there before the bride anyway. The bride usually takes longer."

Kioer raised an eyebrow. "Chai."

Behind Kioer, Taehyung and Santa appeared in the doorway, both of them grinning. Taehyung leaned against the frame. "You sure that ain't you, Pond?"

"Fuck off."

Kioer looked down at the baby, then back at Pond. "My daughter is here."

Pond waved a hand. "My niece's ears aren't even working yet. She'll be fine."

Kioer licked his lips and raised an eyebrow at him, slow and deliberate. Pond felt the heat climb up the back of his neck.

Downstairs, Siyh was fussing with Phuwin's outfit, tugging at the collar, smoothing the fabric over his shoulders. She stepped back, looking at him with a critical eye, then nodded.

"Everyone will for sure know you're the wife with this outfit." She smirked. "Not that they wouldn't already tell on any other day. Pond's like a thousand times bigger than you. Huge biceps. Thick abs, like an eight-pack. You weigh nothing to him."

Phuwin chuckled, the sound warm and easy. "Isn't that the point?"

Tai sighed, a dreamy look on her face. "You two are disgustingly cute."

Phuwin looked at himself in the mirror. The outfit was sharp—white, fitted, the fabric catching the light. The ring on his finger caught it too, and the S necklace lay against his collarbone, the tiny photo hidden against his skin. He touched it, just for a second, then dropped his hand.

"God," he said, his voice quiet, almost to himself. "I'm so excited... to just hear him say I do."

Mint grinned. "That for sure isn't a question. He's the one that proposed to you, anyway."

Phuwin laughed, the sound breaking something loose in his chest. "Yeah. I guess he did."

Siyh stepped up beside him, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "You ready for this?"

Phuwin looked at her—at Tai, Mint, Jaaro, all of them watching him with the kind of warmth that made his throat tight. He thought about Pond upstairs, probably getting smacked with slippers by Kioer. He thought about Godji, who'd be waiting at the beach. He thought about Soònào, and the necklace against his chest, and the promise he'd made to himself that he would live a life big enough for both of them.

He smiled, and this time it reached his eyes.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm ready."