AUTHOR'S POV
The next day, Macao seeks out Pete, finally gathering the courage to tell him everything that happened with Alex. Pete is initially frustrated, calling him a brat, but his tone softens when Macao pleads for help, admitting he can't live without Alex. Seeing how much Macao truly loves him, Pete sighs and agrees to step in and talk to Alex.
Pete heads to Alex's room, where he finds him curled up in bed, clearly troubled. When Pete reveals that Macao told him everything, Alex immediately sits up, filled with guilt and apologies for what happened between them. Pete stops him from apologising....
When Pete asks Alex about his feelings, Alex initially denies them, avoiding eye contact. Pete doesn't buy the lie and gently pushes him to be honest with himself. Alex finally admits his fear: he's terrified that if he lets himself love Macao, he'll lose him, just like he lost Pete. He also worries that Macao will feel like a mere replacement and doesn't want to cause him any pain.
Pete digs deeper, asking Alex why it hurts him so much to see Macao sad. Alex starts to say, "Because I li—" but stops abruptly, the realization of his own feelings finally hitting him. Pete laughs softly and pulls Alex into a comforting hug, telling him that he finally knows the truth.
Pete encourages Alex to be clear with Macao, who has been waiting for him. Realizing he can't run from his emotions anymore, Alex agrees to go to him. It seems like the walls he built out of fear are finally starting to come down.
After a while, Alex finally goes downstairs and finds Macao sitting on the couch with the others. Without a word, Alex reaches for Macao's hand and leads him away to the privacy of the balcony. Macao follows, confused, and asks why he was brought there. Instead of a direct answer, Alex simply asks for a cigarette. Macao complies, lighting it for him, and they stand in a tense silence as Alex stares out at the surroundings.
The silence is broken when Alex abruptly asks Macao if he likes him. Shocked by the bluntness, Macao stammers before firmly admitting that he doesn't just like Alex—he loves him. To Macao's utter confusion, Alex simply replies with a short, "okay then," before turning his back to look out over the balcony again.
Macao is left standing there, completely baffled by the reaction. He questions what "okay" is even supposed to mean, feeling more uncertain than ever despite having just poured his heart out.
Without looking at Macao, Alex finally breaks the silence, suggesting that they should date. Stunned and unable to believe what he's hearing, Macao rushes to Alex, turning him around to face him. He desperately asks if Alex is serious or if he's just dreaming, fearing it might all be a cruel joke.
In response, Alex leans in and kisses Macao gently, asking if that's enough for him to believe. Overwhelmed with joy, Macao nods as tears begin to fall. He pulls Alex into a tight hug, and Alex holds him back, softly stroking his hair. Alex then tilts Macao's chin up, meeting his gaze before leaning in for another kiss that quickly turns passionate.
As they pull away, Alex asks if he's okay, calling him "baby," which sends a deep blush across Macao's face. Their private moment is suddenly interrupted as the rest of the group—Vegas, Pete, Kinn, Porsche, Kim, Chay, and Tankhun—all spill out onto the balcony. Chay is the first to offer his congratulations, while Kim can't help but point out how red Macao's face has become.
Macao, overwhelmed by the attention, hides his face against Alex's chest. Alex immediately steps up to protect him, telling the group to stop teasing because Macao is already blushing so hard. Vegas, ever the protective older brother, jokingly says Alex needs his permission to date his brother.
The two exchange smirks before Vegas turns serious, warning Alex that he'll have to answer to him if he ever hurts Macao.
Alex cheekily points out that the protective warning sounds familiar, causing everyone to look toward Pete, who gets annoyed by the sudden attention. Trying to move things along, Porsche and Kinn suggest everyone head out for breakfast.
Alex tells the group to go on ahead, saying he and Macao will catch up later. This prompts a suggestive comment from Kim about them "eating" something else, which earns him a quick "shut up" from Chay. Not wanting to deal with any more teasing, Macao announces that they are leaving, finally pulling Alex away from the prying eyes of their family.
Macao takes Alex by the hand and leads him away from the group to a quiet room. Once inside, they finally have the privacy they wanted. They sit down together and share a long, meaningful look, feeling happy to be alone at last.
Alex speaks softly to Macao, making sure he is comfortable with how close they are becoming. Macao smiles and nods, showing that he trusts Alex completely. They talk about their feelings and how much they care for one another. It is a moment filled with kindness and understanding....
Macao gets more close to Alex... Alex smiles knowing what he is up to... Just as Macao tries to move closer Alex grabs him and make him sit on his lap..... Macao asks him what he is doing... Alex kisses his cheeks and replies by saying.... The same thing you were trying to do....
Macao blushes... Alex makes Macao look at him and kisses Macao....
ALEX'S POV
When Pete asked if I had feelings for Macao, I tried to lie. I looked away because I was too scared to face the truth. I told him I didn't feel anything, but Pete knew I was lying. He told me to be honest with myself, so I finally opened up. I admitted that I'm afraid. I lost Pete before, and I'm terrified that if I love Macao, I'll lose him too.
I also worried that Macao would feel like he was just a replacement for Pete, and I didn't want to hurt him. Pete kept asking me questions, trying to get me to see the truth. He asked why I cared so much about Macao's sadness. I started to say, "Because I like him," but I stopped before I could finish the word. In that moment, I finally realized that my feelings were real.
Pete laughed softly and gave me a warm hug. He told me that now I finally know how I feel. He reminded me that Macao has been waiting for me and encouraged me to go talk to him. I knew he was right. I took a deep breath and promised Pete that I would go and make things clear with Macao.
I went downstairs after talking with Pete and found Macao sitting on the couch with everyone else. I didn't want to make a scene, so I just grabbed his hand and led him out to the balcony. He looked confused and asked why I brought him there, but I wasn't ready to speak yet. I just asked him for a cigarette. He lit it for me, and I stood there smoking, trying to find the right words while looking out at the view.
The silence felt heavy. When Macao tried to speak, I cut him off and just asked him straight out: "Do you like me?" He looked completely shocked and stuttered at first. I asked him again, and that's when he finally said it—he told me he loved me. I wasn't sure how to react, so I just said, "okay then," and turned my back to look away from him.
I could tell he was confused by my short answer. He sounded frustrated, asking me what "okay" was supposed to mean. I knew I shouldn't keep him Waiting but he look too cute and I enjoyed teasing him....
I kept my eyes fixed on the view, trying to steady my racing heart before I finally said it: "I said okay... Let's date." Macao went completely still. I could feel his shock even without looking at him. He rushed over, grabbing me and turning me around so I had to face him. He looked like he was seeing a ghost, asking if I was serious or if he was just dreaming. He was so terrified that I was messing with him that I didn't say a word; I just leaned in and kissed him gently to prove I meant it.
"Can you believe now?" I whispered against his lips. He just nodded, his eyes welling up as he told me how happy he was. He started crying and threw his arms around me, hugging me so tight I could barely breathe. I held him back, stroking his hair and trying to soothe him. I lifted his chin so he'd look at me again, and this time, when I kissed him, it wasn't just a gentle reassurance—it was passionate. I finally let myself feel everything I'd been holding back.
I pulled back just enough to check on him, asking if he was good and calling him "baby." The way he blushed made me smirk, but our moment was cut short. Suddenly, the balcony door burst open and the whole family—Vegas, Pete, Kinn, Porsche, and the rest—spilled out. Chay was already shouting congratulations, while Kim started teasing Macao about how red his face was. I sighed, knowing the peace was over, but I didn't let go of him.
I felt Macao immediately bury his face into my chest, trying to hide from the sudden crowd. I couldn't help but feel protective, so I told everyone to back off and stop teasing him since he was already blushing so hard. Vegas, being his usual self, smirked and asked if I thought I needed his permission to date his brother. I didn't back down; I just looked him in the eye and joked, "Do I really have to?" We shared a moment of mutual understanding, both of us smirking as we sized each other up.
The mood shifted when Vegas turned serious, warning me to take care of Macao and promising to deal with me if I ever hurt him. I couldn't resist a bit of sass, pointing out that those were usually my lines. That comment made everyone turn their gaze toward Pete, who looked genuinely annoyed by the attention. Thankfully, Porsche and Kinn stepped in to break the tension, suggesting we all head out for some breakfast.
I wasn't ready to share Macao with the rest of the family just yet, so I told them to go on ahead and that we'd catch up later. Of course, Kim had to make a dirty joke about us "eating" something else, which finally pushed Chay to tell him to shut up. Macao had clearly had enough of the spotlight; he muttered that we were leaving and started pulling me away. I followed him, more than happy to finally get some real time alone.
Macao led the way back from the balcony, the air between us still humming with the conversation we'd just had. Once we were inside the quiet of his room, the playful energy shifted into something more grounded and sincere. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at me, his expression uncharacteristically soft.
Sitting down beside him, the proximity felt different now—less about the noise of the party outside and more about the connection that had been building for months. There was a moment of silence where we just looked at each other, acknowledging everything that had been left unsaid.
He reached out, resting a hand on my arm, and the confidence in his eyes was replaced by a quiet vulnerability. He admitted that he had been waiting for a moment like this, where it was just the two of us, away from the distractions.
Leaning in closer, the realization hit that this was the start of something much more significant than just a single night. There was a promise in that look, a sense of mutual respect and anticipation for whatever came next. It was clear that neither of us wanted to walk away from this bond.