1. When Your Eyes Found Mine

Chapter 38

I trust you

Scene: Late night – Dining Area

The night has settled soft around them, draped in the hush of waves beyond the glass doors. Inside dining space, the golden overhead lights cast everything in a lazy, golden haze. Half-empty wine bottles stand like sentinels in the center of the table, surrounded by crumpled napkins, open chip bags, and a slightly crooked board game no one ever managed to finish.

Lego sits calmly at the end of the table, a clear glass of soda in his hand, posture straight but relaxed. His eyes scan the room like he’s gently keeping track of everyone without trying to control them — his usual quiet steadiness. Next to him, Diamond’s laughter rolls easy and bright as he tells some half-finished story about a prank he pulled on set last month. He’s flushed from wine, not tipsy — just loosened, lively, leaning toward Lego with his knee touching his under the table like it’s second nature.

Across from them, Hong is curled up against Nut. He’s clearly drunk — his cheeks flushed, his usually sharp eyes half-lidded with sleepiness and affection. His head rests on Nut’s shoulder, hair tickling Nut’s jaw. Nut doesn’t say much — he just sits there, letting Hong breathe against him, one hand resting protectively on Hong’s thigh beneath the table, thumb drawing soft circles like it’s instinct. Every once in a while, Hong mumbles something slurred and warm — half-words, lazy little thoughts — and Nut just smiles softly in return, brushing Hong’s hair back from his forehead.

Tui is quiet.

He sits with his back straight, his plate mostly untouched. There’s a drink in front of him, but he hasn’t touched it in a while. He listens more than he speaks, eyes flicking to Hong’s quiet affection, then to Diamond’s laughter, then back to his lap. Something about him feels… apart. Like he’s in the room but not fully inside the moment. He smiles faintly when someone addresses him, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

He’s not sad, exactly. Just elsewhere.

There’s an empty space at the other end of the table — two chairs pushed slightly back, plates scraped clean. That’s where Est and William sat earlier, before quietly slipping away with an exchanged glance, fingers brushing briefly beneath the table. No one commented. Everyone knew.

The conversation rises and falls like the tide, stories half-told, games half-played, jokes hanging in the air without needing punchlines. The kind of night that doesn’t ask anything from anyone. The kind of night that feels like a pocket of time — untouched by pressure, untouched by the world.

Hong shifts in his seat, sighs, then murmurs, “Nut… you’re warm.”

Nut chuckles quietly, eyes on his wine glass. “You say that every time.”

“Because it’s true,” Hong says, nuzzling in closer. “You’re like… a pillow. But better. You’re mine.”

Diamond snorts with laughter across the table. “He’s gone.”

“He’s adorable,” Nut replies softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Hong’s head.

Tui glances down at the table again, his fingers curling around the stem of his untouched glass.

And Lego watches him — for just a moment — before turning back to Diamond, who’s still smiling, still laughing, still bringing light to the room without even trying.

Outside, the ocean hums. Inside, the night lingers.

Comfortable. Imperfect. Real.

Scene: Late Night – Balcony off the Dining Room

The laughter has faded, replaced by the low hush of dishes being cleared and chairs being nudged back into place. The others have filtered away — Hong half-asleep against Nut’s shoulder, Tui disappearing quietly down the hall without a word, and the soft click of Est and William’s door long gone.

Only Lego and Diamond remain.

The balcony door is open, letting in the salted breeze, cool and quiet. Diamond stands leaning against the railing, arms folded loosely, gazing out at the moonlit ocean. His hair flutters slightly in the wind, and there’s a wine glass still in his hand, though he hasn’t sipped from it in a while.

Behind him, Lego steps out and joins him in the doorway. He doesn’t say anything at first — just stands a few feet away, watching Diamond in silence.

Diamond turns slightly. “You stayed sober.”

Lego nods, shrugging gently. “Someone had to.”

Diamond smiles faintly, eyes still on the waves. “Always the steady one.”

Lego walks up beside him and leans against the railing, arms brushing, shoulders close. “Not always. Just when it matters.”

Diamond hums, thoughtful. “You think tonight mattered?”

Lego turns his head, studying him. “You looked happy.”

“I was,” Diamond says softly. “I am.”

They stand there quietly for a while, the sea whispering below them. Diamond sips the last of his wine and sets the glass on the railing. He exhales, long and deep, and leans his head against Lego’s shoulder.

“I wish it was always like this,” he murmurs.

“Drunk friends and leftover pad thai?” Lego teases lightly.

Diamond chuckles under his breath. “No. Just… peace. People being themselves. No cameras. No rehearsals. No pretending.”

Lego shifts slightly and slides his hand into Diamond’s, fingers lacing. “We can always have this. Even if it’s just once in a while.”

Diamond squeezes his hand, quiet for a moment. “Promise?”

Lego tilts his head, brushes a soft kiss against Diamond’s temple. “Always.”

Diamond closes his eyes and lets himself lean fully into Lego now, his body relaxed in a way it rarely is in the daytime. In the quiet, in the dark, with no one watching, he lets himself be held.

They stay like that — silent, shoulder to shoulder, hearts steady — as the wind tugs at their shirts and the sea sings them toward sleep.

Scene: Late Night – Hallway to Room

Hong stumbles a little as Nut guides him down the hallway, one arm snug around his waist, the other gently steadying him by the wrist. The hallway is quiet now, lights dimmed to a warm amber glow. The air smells faintly of sea salt and the citrus soap from the hotel bathrooms.

“Are we going to bed or are you kidnapping me?” Hong slurs, grinning up at Nut with unfocused eyes.

Nut chuckles. “Bit of both.”

“I trust you,” Hong murmurs, leaning more heavily into him.

“I know.”

They reach their door. Nut fumbles with the keycard, supporting Hong with his body as the other boy presses his cheek lazily against his shoulder. The door clicks open. Nut nudges it with his foot and eases them both inside.

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