Chapter Text
Tee
Dew
Winny
Nani
Joong
Phuwin
Est
Sky
Kim
Ohm
As Taylor swift said: My advice is always ruin the friendship
Tee had never used Reddit for anything serious in his life.
He had an account, technically. It was a three year old account, it had no profile picture, and it existed because he liked reading detailed threads about movies, restaurants, and manga reviews.
He had never posted on the platform.
Until now.
At 02:17 in the morning, Tee sat cross-legged against his headboard with his laptop on his thighs, he was staring at an empty text box while questioning every decision that had brought him here.
It was Phi Nani's fault. Technically, it was everyone's fault, but Nani had started it.
They had all gone out for dinner two nights ago, the usual group taking over two tables shoved together while talking over each other and stealing food off one another's plates. Dew had been telling Winny that his spare bedroom was basically useless because nobody ever stayed in it.
Which was when Nani had frowned.
"What do you mean? Tee stays over all the time."
Dew hadn't even looked embarrassed. "He doesn't sleep in the spare room."
Tee had looked up from his food.
"What?"
Dew had kept eating.
"You sleep in my room."
"Because your spare bed is so uncomfortable. I’ve told you this."
"It's not."
"It is."
"You've never slept in it."
"Whatever."
That should have been the end of it. Instead, Joong had lowered his chopsticks.
"Hold on.
Winny had turned toward him. "When you stay at Dew's, you sleep in his bed?"
"Yes?"
Phuwin had blinked. "Together?"
Tee had frowned. "Obviously together. Where else would Dew sleep?"
There had been another silence. Then Nani had placed both hands over his face.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"Tee."
"What?"
"You cannot possibly be this stupid."
Tee had stared at him and Dew, was completely uninterested in whatever mental breakdown was occurring around them, he had reached over and removed a piece of onion from Tee's plate because Tee hated onion and Dew had been doing that for years.
Which, everyone noticed. Joong had made a strangled noise. Things only got worse when the conversation moved to perfume.
Kim had complimented Dew's cologne, and Dew had mentioned buying another bottle recently that he hadn't opened yet.
"I bought it because I thought Tee might like it. It might suit him more than it does me" Tee had nodded. "He said he'll sell it to me for half price."
"If you like it." Dew added.
Nani had stared between them.
"You bought a cologne specifically because you thought Tee would smell good in it, and now you're going to give it to him for half price?"
"I'm not giving it to him."
"For half price."
"Yeah."
Sky had looked fascinated. "Why half?"
Dew had shrugged. "Because it's Tee."
That had been the moment the table exploded. Tee still didn't understand why. Dew had spent the rest of dinner looking increasingly annoyed while their friends asked ridiculous questions.
Did Tee have clothes at Dew's house? Yes.
A toothbrush? Obviously.
His own shampoo? Dew bought the one Tee used.
Did Dew know Tee's food order? They had known each other eight years. Of course he did.
Did Dew pick Tee up from places even when Tee could drive himself? Sometimes.
Did Dew call him when he couldn't sleep? Sometimes.
Did Tee have a key to his house? It was for emergencies.
Had Dew ever dated anyone seriously in the eight years they'd been friends? No.
Had Tee? Also no, but that was completely unrelated.
By the time they had dessert, Nani had looked exhausted.
"You two are the reason I believe some people shouldn't be allowed to make their own decisions."
Tee had kicked him under the table. The teasing hadn't stopped. For forty-eight hours. And earlier that evening, Nani had finally said the thing Tee couldn't get out of his head.
Dew likes you.
He has liked you for years. You're just oblivious.
Tee had immediately denied it. Because Dew was his best friend. His best friend of eight years.
They had met at university. They had gone through terrible group projects, career disappointments, family problems, breakups that never technically happened because neither of them had dated anybody long enough to have a bad breakup, and one holiday where Dew had gotten food poisoning and spent two days convinced he was dying.
Nothing romantic had ever happened between them. Things were always platonic. They had never kissed. They had never confessed anything. They had never crossed a line.
Sure, Dew was affectionate. But Dew was affectionate with people he loved. Sure, Tee slept in his bed. But they had been doing that since university. Sure, Dew sometimes pulled Tee closer when he was half asleep…but he was sleeping.
Sure, Dew had once driven forty-five minutes at midnight because Tee casually mentioned wanting food…but Dew liked driving. Probably.
Tee stared at the Reddit text box. Then he started typing.
Vote
r/relationships · Posted by u/teatimeafter2am just now
Am I having delusions about my best friend or are my friends seeing something I'm not?
Relationships
Anonymous because some of my friends use Reddit.
I (25M) have been best friends with my friend (25M) for about 8 years. We met at university and we've always been close, but nothing romantic has ever happened between us. We've never kissed or confessed feelings or anything like that.
Recently one of our close friends accused me of being "oblivious" because apparently my best friend likes me.
This started because we were having dinner with friends and my best friend mentioned that when I stay at his house, I sleep in his bed instead of the guest room. Everyone acted like this was weird but we've done this for years and I've never thought anything of it.
Then later he mentioned that he bought a bottle of cologne because he thought I'd like it and said if I like it he'll sell it to me for half price. Our friends thought this was also weird.
Since then they won't stop teasing me.
For context, yes I have a key to his house, some clothes there and toiletries, but we've known each other for almost a decade. He also knows most of my food orders/preferences and we talk pretty much every day.
One friend says he's been flirting with me for years and I just don't notice. Another said I'm "living in a relationship without knowing I'm in a relationship," which I think is so dramatic of them.
I genuinely can't tell anymore because now I'm analysing things that never seemed strange before. Is there actually something here or have my friends just gotten into my head?
And if there IS something here, what am I supposed to do? I don't want to ruin an eight-year friendship because everyone convinced me to imagine something that isn't there.
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Tee reread it six times.
He also decided not to mention that Dew's mother sent Tee food through Dew whenever she cooked something Tee liked. That was definitely irrelevant. Tee pressed Post, then he closed the laptop. For a few minutes, he felt better. Then his phone buzzed.
Tee looked down.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Received Message from:Nani
TEE.
Another message appeared.
Received Message from:Joong
OH MY FUCKING GOD BRO😭😭😭😭😭
Tee's stomach dropped.
Sent Message: What?
Received Message from:Winny
don't "what" us
Received Message from:Phuwin
Anonymous because some of my friends use Reddit 😭😭😭😭
Received Message from:Phuwin
I’m fucking crying
Tee stared at the screen in horror.
No. It was impossible. He grabbed his laptop and opened it again. His post had seventeen comments.
Then twenty-three. Then thirty-one. His phone kept vibrating.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Sent Message: HOW DID YOU FIND THAT
Received Message from:Est
you posted the most identifiable story in Thailand
Received Message from:Kim
You literally included the cologne part😭
Received Message from:Ohm
HALF PRICE TOOK ME OUT🤣
Received Message from:Sky
I opened Reddit and immediately knew it was you.
Sent Message: There are millions of people on Reddit.
Received Message from:Nani
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE A MALE BEST FRIEND OF EIGHT YEARS WHO BUYS THEM PERFUME AND LETS THEM SLEEP IN HIS BED TEE😀
Sent Message: A lot probably.
Received Message from:Phuwin
no
Received Message from:Winny
literally no
Received Message from:Joong
absolutely fucking not
Type a message
Tee rubbed both hands down his face. A notification popped up on Reddit. He shouldn't have opened it, but he did. The top comment already had hundreds of upvotes.
Tee frowned, then he continued to scroll.
💍
delulu-but-correct · just now
"He'll sell it to me for half price." That's your husband pretending he's doing you a favour.
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Tee's ears turned pink, then he read another.
L
lesbianwithreceipts · just now
I'm begging you to ask your friends for examples because I guarantee the cologne is not why they think he likes you.
ReplyShareReportSave
Tee slowly looked toward his phone. The group chat was still alive.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Received Message from:Nani
Read the comments, @Tee
Sent Message: I am.
Received Message from:Nani
Good.
Sent Message: They're being dramatic.
Received Message from:Sky
They're strangers who know less and yet somehow they're still less blind than you.
Sent Message: 
Received Message from:Sky
Received Message from:Ohm
Ask us for examples 😌
Type a message
Tee immediately regretted posting on Reddit.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Sent Message: Fine.
Sent Message: Examples please.
Received Message from:Winny
DEW ONCE DROVE TO PATTAYA BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU WERE BORED
Received Message from:Nani
WTF, isn’t that like a three hour drive?
Sent Message: He wanted to go too.
Received Message from:Winny
HE WAS IN BED RESTING FROM FILMING
Sent Message: He said it wasn’t an issue…
Received Message from:Joong
because YOU CALLED HIM
Received Message from:Phuwin
last year when that hot actor asked for your number Dew spent nearly twenty minutes explaining why he was "not your type"
Type a message
Tee paused.
He remembered that.
Dew had made several valid points.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Sent Message: He wasn't my type.
Received Message from:Phuwin
THAT IS NOT THE POINT
Received Message from:Kim
He knows your coffee order better than you do and he's always buying your toiletries for you
Sent Message: I forget those things.
Received Message from:Est
You fell asleep at his place during movie night and he wouldn't let us wake you up so we all went home at 22:00 so that YOU could rest.
Sent Message: I was tired.
Received Message from:Ohm
He cancelled dinner with us because you texted him to help you
Type a message
Tee frowned.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Sent Message: That was important?
Received Message from:Ohm
YOU WANTED HIM TO HELP YOU MOVE A TABLE TEERADECH
Sent Message: It was heavy.
Received Message from:Sky
He looked ready to fight a rookie on set because the man called you "cute."
Sent Message: That didn't happen.
Received Message from:Nani
I WAS THERE BITCH
Received Message from:Joong
wait wait my favourite
Received Message from:Joong
when Tee got sick two years ago and Dew stayed at his condo for THREE DAYS
Sent Message: I had a fever.
Received Message from:Winny
he skipped a fashion event Tee, you know how important those are
Type a message
Tee stopped typing. He remembered that too. Dew had told him the event wasn't important. Tee had been half delirious and miserable, and Dew had spent most of the night sitting beside him with a wet towel, he would complain every time Tee tried to apologise. Tee stared at the screen and for the first time he was really beginning to consider some things.
He opened Reddit again, his post had over three hundred comments now. Almost every single one said some variation of the same thing.
♥
heartshapedproblem · just now
Your friend likes you.
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R
readtheroompls · just now
Your friends are right.
ReplyShareReportSave
8
eightyearslater · just now
Eight years???
ReplyShareReportSave
!
updatemepls · just now
OP please update us after you finally date
ReplyShareReportSave
One comment made him stop.
☁
oldman_yells_at_cloud · just now
Ignore whether he likes you for a second. Do you like him? Because your entire post is about being scared of losing him, not about being uncomfortable with the idea of him pursuing you.
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Tee read it again and again. His phone buzzed.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Received Message from:Nani
You got quiet there, Tee.
Sent Message: I'm reading.
Received Message from:Nani
Are you thinking?
Sent Message: Mmm.
Reaction from Nani: ❤️
Type a message
Tee dropped his phone onto the bed.
Do you like him?
That wasn't the question. The question was whether Dew liked him. That was the entire purpose of this exercise. Except now that someone had asked, Tee couldn't stop thinking about it.
Dew could laugh so hard he folded toward Tee's shoulder. Dew would reach for Tee's hand when guiding him through crowds. He’d sit on Tee's kitchen counter at one in the morning while Tee made noodles.
His phone vibrated again. This time it wasn't the group chat.
Tee's heart nearly stopped. He stared at the notification.
Whatsapp chat with: Dew👀
Received Message: Are you awake?
That was normal, Dew texted him late all the time. Tee swallowe and replied.
Sent Message: Yes.
The reply came immediately.
Received Message: Why?
Tee looked at his laptop. Seven hundred strangers were currently discussing his “friendship” with Dew..
Sent Message: Couldn't sleep😵💫
Received Message: Come sleep here.
He stared at the message like he'd never seen words before. He had received versions of that message dozens of times.
Come over, or stay here tonight, don't drive home or even sleep here. Those were normal things. Best-friend things. Except suddenly they didn't look normal at all. Tee returned to the group chat.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Sent Message: He just told me to come sleep at his house.
Received Message from:Winny
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Received Message from:Joong
I AM GOING TO DIE
Received Message from:Nani
TEE.
Received Message from:Phuwin
AT 02:46 IN THE MORNING???????
Received Message from:Phuwin
Even my boyfriend doesn't do this shit
Received Message from:Est
Reddit couldn't write this any better.
Received Message from:Ohm
GO.
Received Message from:Kim
GO RIGHT NOW
Received Message from:Sky
Ask him why he wants you there though?
Sent Message: I'm not asking him that.
Received Message from:Nani
WHY NOT
Sent Message: Because that's weird.
Received Message from:Joong
YOU SHARE A BED FFS
Sent Message: STOP SAYING IT LIKE THAT, YOU’RE MAKING IT WEIRD
Type a message
Another message arrived from Dew.
Whatsapp chat with: Dew👀
Received Message: Tee?
Received Message: You okay?
Tee stared at it.
Sent Message: Yes.
Received Message: Then come over.
Tee bit his lip.
Sent Message: Why?
The typing bubble appeared immediately. For some reason, Tee's pulse started climbing.
Received Message: Because I want you here?
Tee shut his eyes.
Oh. Oh, that was—
The group chat needed to see this. Tee took a screenshot. He opened WhatsApp, selected the group and sent it.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Received Message from:Nani
HOLY SHIT HE ADMITTED IT
Received Message from:Phuwin
"because I want you here?" 😭
Received Message from:Phuwin
He’s such a fucking loser
Received Message from:Winny
Tee if you ask that man if he's sure I will block you
Received Message from:Joong
WAIT
Received Message from:Joong
GUYS
Received Message from:Joong
GUYS FUCK
Received Message from:Joong
My fucking stupid gorgeous ass
Type a message
Tee frowned.
Sent Message: What?
Received Message from:Joong
wrong chat
Tee's blood ran cold.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Received Message from:Nani
What did you do.
Received Message from:Joong
nothing
Received Message from:Sky
Joong.
Received Message from:Joong
genuinely nothing
Received Message from:Kim
Show us.
Received Message from:Joong
so technically speaking
Received Message from:Joong
hypothetically
Received Message from:Joong
if someone were laughing very hard at the messages that they were getting
Received Message from:Joong
and sent a screenshot
Sent Message: JOONG.
Received Message from:Joong
TO THE WRONG GROUP
Type a message
Tee stopped breathing.
The main friendship group. The one Dew was in lit up with a notification.
A group chat called: Friendswith: Dew, Tee, Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm
Received Message from:Dew
What Reddit post?
Tee wanted to die.
Received Message from:Joong
Wrong chat, @Dew
Received Message from:Dew
Obviously.
Received Message from:Winny
lol
Received Message from:Dew
What Reddit post?
Nobody answered.
Received Message from:Dew
@Tee?
Tee considered throwing his phone out the window. The typing indicator beside Dew's name disappeared. Then Dew went silent for nearly a minute.
The secret group chat went crazy.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Received Message from:Nani
HE'S FUCKING READING IT
Sent Message: HE DOESN'T KNOW MY USERNAME.
Received Message from:Sky
Joong's screenshot showed the title of your post.
Type a message
Tee stared at the message. He looked at Joong's screenshot. The title was visible. Word for word. Tee fell backward onto his pillows.
"This is horrible," he whispered to the ceiling.
His phone rang and it was Dew. Tee stared at it until the fourth ring. Then he answered.
"Hello?"
There was silence, then Tee swallowed.
"Dew?"
Another second passed.
Then Dew said, “You didn’t want to imagine something that was not there?" Tee covered his face.
"Dew—"
"You didn’t want to “ruin” the friendship, Teeradech."
Tee wanted the earth to open beneath his bed and swallow him whole.
"Uh…you read it?"
"I am currently reading 1200 strangers explain my own behaviour to you."
Tee made a miserable sound and Dew laughed fondly which made Tee's ears burn
"This isn't very funny."
"It's a little funny."
"I hate Joong."
"Well, I don’t."
Tee sat up again and neither of them spoke for a moment. Tee was still embarrassed but he had to get over himself.
"Dew."
"Hmm?"
Tee hesitated but then he whispered.
"Are they right?"
There was no laughter this time. Tee could hear Dew breathing on the other end.
"About which part?"
"You know which part."
"I want you to say it though." he said teasingly.
Tee shut his eyes. Of course he did.
"Dew."
"Ai Tee."
"Do you… like me?"
Then Dew let out a breath.
"Yes. Of course I do."
Tee forgot every thought he'd ever had. Dew continued before he could respond.
"I like you."
Tee stared at nothing.
"For how long?"
"Do you really want me to answer that after posting on Reddit?"
"Dew."
"I'm deeply offended you needed Reddit to figure it out, Ai Tee."
Despite everything, Tee laughed and he pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead.
"I didn't know."
"I know."
"They made me think about it."
"I know."
"And then everyone online said—"
"Tee."
"What?"
"Please stop talking about Reddit."
Tee went quiet and Dew's voice softened.
"Come over."
Tee's heart started beating even faster.
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"It's almost three."
"You've come over at weirder times."
Which was true. Tee glanced toward the chair where he'd thrown his hoodie earlier.
"What are we going to do?"
Dew was quiet for just long enough to make Tee nervous. Then he said, "First, I'm going to make you look me in the face while I explain exactly how oblivious you've been for years."
"And then..."
Dew stopped and Tee waited.
"And then what?"
When Dew answered, his voice had changed.
"Then I'm going to ask if I can kiss you."
Tee's brain completely stopped working. There was silence on both ends and then Dew laughed under his breath.
"You still there, Tee?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Tee stood so quickly his laptop nearly fell off the bed and Dew heard the movement.
"Are you coming?"
"I'm putting my shoes on."
That made Dew laugh again.
"Drive carefully, okay."
"I always drive carefully."
"You don't."
"I do."
"Tee."
"What?"
"Bring the cologne bottle with."
"Why?"
“You obviously need a refill.”
Tee looked at his bedside table and noticed that there was barely any cologne left in the glass bottle. Then he said “You’re really charging me so little for that premium stuff Dew.”
"I won't be selling it to you anymore, Tee."
Tee's mouth fell open.
"Dew. I didn’t say you should stop, why d—"
"I'll be giving it to my boyfriend. He’d smell good wearing it."
Then Dew smiled into the call and whispered, “See you in ten minutes.” Then the call ended. Tee stood in the middle of his bedroom staring at his phone.
His entire face turned red. Then he realised many messages came through on WhatsApp.
A group chat called: 8 Idiots😼, No Dew😋with: Nani, Winny, Joong, Sky, Phuwin, Est, Kim, Ohm, Tee
Today
Received Message from:Nani
WELL??????????
Received Message from:Winny
TEE WAS ON A CALL, I TRIED TO CALL HIM AND WHATSAPP BLOCKED ME
@TEE IS HE IN LOVE WITH YOU OR NOT??
Received Message from:Phuwin
TEE ANSWER BEFORE I CALL YOU
Received Message from:Joong
I would like everyone to remember that technically my mistake created this beautiful moment
Received Message from:Sky
Nobody remembers it that way.
Received Message from:Est
Update Reddit.
Received Message from:Kim
PLEASE update Reddit 😭
Received Message from:Ohm
They're waiting for you king
Type a message
Tee stared at the messages. Then he looked at the Reddit post still open on his laptop, he typed one final update.
Vote
r/relationships · Posted by u/teatimeafter2am just now
UPDATE
UPDATE
You were all right.
Unfortunately, so were my friends.
He found the post and I'm going to his house now. Please stop calling him my husband.
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Tee refreshed the page. The first new comment appeared almost instantly.
💍
delulu-but-correct · just now
See you after the wedding, OP😁
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Tee closed the laptop.
He was going to delete Reddit tomorrow.
🤨
throwaway988271 · just now
My brother in Christ you have a key to his house, clothes in his closet, toiletries in his bathroom, sleep in his bed and he buys products based on whether he thinks you'll like them or smell/look good in them? What exactly would he have to do for you to consider the possibility? Must we send you a marriage certificate?