𝐔𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫

The morning sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, bathing the room in a warm, golden hue. For the first time in what felt like forever, the atmosphere inside was calm—though the room was anything but quiet.

William lay propped up slightly against the pillows, a faint color returning to his cheeks. The oxygen mask was gone now, replaced by a small smile that tugged at his lips as he took in the scene around him.

Pooh, the quietest of them all, sat half-curled on the edge of the bed, refusing to move an inch. His hand was gripping William’s wrist as if letting go would make him disappear again. He didn’t speak, didn’t tease like he usually did—he just stayed.

Sky was on the other side, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, watching William with a mix of relief and guilt etched across his face. Every few seconds, he’d check the IV line or adjust the blanket, like his brother would break if he didn’t keep watch.

Across from him, Est sat dutifully with a bowl of fruit, cutting tiny pieces and feeding them to William. “Slowly,” Est said softly as William tried to eat faster. “You’re not escaping another hospital stay if you choke, I’m warning you.”

William chuckled weakly. “Yes, doctor,” he said, though his eyes softened every time Est brought the spoon near his lips.

“Good. Because if you pull another disappearing act,” Est muttered, cheeks flushed, “I’ll handcuff you to the bed next time.”

Pooh snorted, unable to help it. “You’d need Sky’s permission for that.”

Sky looked up with a smirk. “Permission denied.”

The laughter that followed was soft but genuine—the kind that made the walls feel lighter.

Meanwhile, Nani sat cross-legged near William’s feet, his tablet balanced on his knees as he swiped through wedding suits. “Okay, I’m saying this for the last time,” Nani announced dramatically. “You all are banned from wearing beige. I want contrast, something royal, not a funeral in silk.”

William groaned playfully. “We almost had a funeral, Nani.”

“Exactly!” Nani shot back. “All the more reason to have colors. You’re not dying before my wedding, Will. None of you are.”

That earned another round of chuckles—even Sky smiled this time, shaking his head. “You sound like Papa Pete,” he said.

“Speaking of Papa,” Est added, “he said the wedding’s still happening. No delays.”

Sky’s expression shifted, a mix of surprise and disbelief. “What?”

Nani turned his iPad around, showing him the message from Vegas. “Five days from now. Your father doesn’t trust you enough to give you another month.”

Sky groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “He’s still mad, huh?”

“Mad?” William coughed out a laugh. “He nearly destroyed half a base getting you out, brother. I’d say he’s furious.”

Everyone burst into laughter again, the sound filling the room like sunlight.Nani leaned over and placed his head gently on Sky’s shoulder. “At least we’re all here now,” he whispered.

Sky’s hand came up to brush his hair back, voice soft. “Yeah. All here.”

The peace in the room didn’t last long—because Nani decided it wouldn’t.

“I’ve made my decision,” he declared suddenly, tapping his iPad like a royal decree. “Everyone—and I mean everyone—is wearing black. No white shirt, no tie in any shade of ‘I think this will match,’ nothing. Pure black.”

Sky blinked at him, brow raised. “Everyone? Even Papa Pete?”

“Especially Papa Pete,” Nani replied with a grin. “He’ll look like an expensive mafia boss. It fits the family image.”

Pooh snorted so loudly that Est elbowed him in the ribs. “What?” Pooh said, smirking. “he’s not wrong.”

William leaned his head back against the pillow, looking way too pleased. “Finally, someone understands my aesthetic. I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“You’re not the aesthetic,” Est muttered, cutting another piece of apple. “You’re the problem.”

William gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “You wound me, darling. Emotionally this time, not physically.”

Nani pointed at him with his stylus. “Don’t tempt me to reconsider. I might put you in beige for that comment.”

That earned a collective groan from everyone.

“Beige?” Sky looked horrified. “You’d destroy our entire family legacy with one outfit choice.”

“I’ll destroy whoever interrupts my color scheme again,” Nani shot back, flipping his hair dramatically.

Jimmy, who had just walked in with Sea carrying breakfast trays, stopped mid-step. “Wait, did I hear correctly? Black suits for everyone?”

“Yes,” Nani said without missing a beat. “You, Sea, Pooh, Est, William, Papa Pete, Dad Force, Papa Book—everyone.”

Sea blinked. “But black on me—”

“Looks hot,” Jimmy finished for him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “We’re good with that.”

“Ugh, you two,” Pooh groaned, tossing a pillow at them.

Jimmy dodged easily, grinning. “Jealous because you’re single?”

Pooh deadpanned. “Jealous because I’m not nauseous, thank you.”

The laughter that followed filled the room again, bright and loud. Even Est chuckled softly, though he tried to hide it behind his hand.

Sky watched them all with a small smile, then looked at Nani. “And what about us, my dear dictator of fashion?”

Nani turned the iPad toward him with a triumphant grin. “We’ll wear white.”

“White?” William teased, arching a brow. “You mean matching? Like an angelic duo of chaos?”

“Exactly,” Nani said proudly. “Everyone else will look deadly, and we’ll look divine. Balance.”

Sky chuckled, leaning over to press a kiss to his fiancé’s temple. “You really planned all this in your head, didn’t you?”

“Of course,” Nani replied without hesitation. “I’ve been planning this wedding since the day you forgot our first-month anniversary.”

The room exploded.

“Wait—he forgot?” William cackled. “Sky Theerapakyun, the man who remembers his enemies’ birthdays but not his fiancé’s?”

“Shut up!” Sky shot back, flustered.

Est covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. “Excuse me, but that’s valid. He gets a pass.”

“Not from me,” Nani muttered with a playful glare, crossing his arms.

Sky sighed dramatically. “You’ll forgive me when you see my wedding gift.”

Nani’s eyes sparkled instantly. “Oh really?”

Sky smirked. “Mm-hmm. So stop pouting before I change my mind.”

Nani gasped, feigning offense. “You wouldn’t dare—”

William groaned loudly. “Okay, I’m too injured to handle this much flirting. Can we move on before they start making heart eyes again?”

“You’re just jealous,” Est murmured, smirking.

William grinned. “Always, darling. Always.”

And just like that, the Theerapakyun estate was filled with laughter again—soft, teasing, and warm, the kind that spoke of survival and love.Even with war behind them and chaos ahead, they were family.

Three days later, the calm before the wedding shattered spectacularly.

The Theerapakyun family was officially divided — Team Groom vs. Team Bride, though both sides seemed to have forgotten the “calm” part of any celebration.

𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢

A private estate on the outskirts of Rayong glittered with low neon lights and the sound of laughter. The air smelled of expensive liquor, cigar smoke, and too many egos in one room.

Sky was dressed in black—clean, dangerous, magnetic. Beside him, William was his usual chaos reborn, slouched comfortably with a whiskey glass and his smirk that could make anyone nervous. Pooh sat at the bar, already halfway into his second cocktail, while Jimmy was the life of the party—cracking jokes, making even Vegas laugh.

Yes, Vegas Theerapakyun. The man who rarely smiled was now sipping scotch, smirking at the sight of his son’s friends trying to outdrink each other.

Force was there too, arms crossed, pretending to be unimpressed while secretly making sure no one passed their limits.

“So tell me,” Force began smoothly, glancing at Sky with a half-smile, “you sure you want to marry my son? Last chance to run.”

The room went quiet for a heartbeat before Sky raised his glass, eyes gleaming.

“Too late, dad. I’ve already signed the deal with my soul.”

William snorted, choking on his drink. “That’s either the most romantic or most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard.”

Pooh groaned. “Definitely terrifying. You two are gonna set the house on fire at the wedding.”

Jimmy leaned back on the couch, grinning. “Correction — they’ll set the marriage on fire.”

Even Vegas cracked a reluctant smile. “As long as they don’t burn the house I built, I’ll allow it.”

Vegas chuckled, shaking his head. “Boys, behave. Tomorrow you’ll be hungover, and I’m not paying for a single IV drip.”

William lifted his glass lazily. “Cheers to that.”

“Cheers to us surviving Nani’s wedding plans,” Sky added, and the whole room roared with laughter.

𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚

Meanwhile, chaos had a different rhythm at the penthouse.

Music blasted through the speakers, neon lights reflecting over the pool where half of the guests were already splashing around. The night smelled of coconut oil, champagne, and too many perfumes mixed together.

Nani stood at the center of it all, wearing something glittery enough to blind anyone within a five-meter radius. His hair was slicked back, his skin glowing, his smile—lethal.

“DJ, louder!” he shouted, raising his glass of sparkling wine. “This is our night!”

Est cheered beside him, pulling his brother into a spin that made the crowd whistle. The two brothers moved in sync, laughing breathlessly as the music pulsed.

Sea and Papa Pete were at the bar, watching with amused expressions. Pete was laughing so hard he could barely hold his drink. “That’s my boy! Show them how to make an entrance!”

Book was beside him, shaking his head but smiling anyway. “You’re enabling him.”

Pete shrugged. “It’s his wedding week. He can be as dramatic as he wants.”

Est grabbed Nani’s hand, twirling him again until Nani crashed into Sea, laughing uncontrollably. “You’re doing that on purpose!”

“Obviously,” Est teased, grinning. “If you’re gonna marry a Theerapakyun, you better learn to dodge chaos.”

Nani’s laughter softened, his eyes glimmering under the lights. “Oh, I’m not dodging it,” he said, a mischievous smile curving his lips. “I am the chaos.”

The whole room erupted again, chants and cheers filling the air as fireworks suddenly burst outside, painting the sea in gold and pink.

Sea glanced up. “Who the hell arranged fireworks?”

Pete raised a brow, smug. “Your future husband.”

Nani’s eyes softened just slightly—only for a moment—before he raised his glass toward the sky, whispering just loud enough for Est to hear,“He better be watching this.”

As the night deepened, laughter slowly melted into soft music and sleepy murmurs. The pool was quiet now, only the ripples of fading reflections dancing under the stars. Most guests had retreated — some to their rooms, some passed out on deck chairs, and some (like Est) were still too tipsy to find the stairs.

Nani, however, wasn’t ready to sleep.

He slipped away from the noise, barefoot, a bottle of Château Margaux dangling loosely from his hand — an absurdly expensive red wine he’d stolen from Vegas’s private stash. Champagne was usually his limit, but tonight wasn’t about rules.

He needed air.He needed silence.And most of all—he needed him.

The terrace was washed in silver moonlight, the sea murmuring faintly below. The cool wind brushed through his hair as he leaned against the railing, the bottle resting beside him.

“Can’t sleep, huh?”

The voice came from the shadows. Calm, low, teasing.

Nani’s lips curved before he even turned around. “I knew you’d call.”

Sky’s voice was faint through the phone he held against his ear, but the sound alone made something tighten in Nani’s chest.“I told you to go to bed, love,” Sky murmured, sounding more amused than scolding. “You’re gonna look like a panda at our wedding.”

Nani chuckled softly, eyes half-lidded as he watched the stars. “Wouldn’t be the first time I walked down the aisle with dark circles.”

“Hmm. But this time, you’ll walk down toward me,” Sky said, his tone dropping low, rich. “That’s different.”

The silence stretched for a second, heavy with everything they didn’t need to say.

“I missed you tonight,” Nani admitted finally, swirling the wine in the glass he’d just poured. “Everything feels too loud without you. Even happiness.”

Sky exhaled quietly on the other end. “I know. But it’s the last night apart, Nani. Tomorrow I’m taking you home. For good.”

Nani tilted his head, smiling faintly as the sea breeze lifted his hair. “You sound so sure of that, Sky Theerapakyun.”

“I am sure,” Sky said, his voice softer now. “Because I don’t let go of what’s mine.”

Nani laughed under his breath, that beautiful, tired laugh that Sky could almost see through the call. “Possessive much?”

“Only when it comes to you.”

Nani took a sip of the wine, his smile faltering just slightly. “Then promise me… this time, no more blood. No more danger. Just us.”

Sky’s silence lingered. Then he said quietly, “Just us, forever.”