Chapter Text
It's unusual for Thee to feel this nervous. The whole day, he spent fidgeting and jumping at every mildly loud sound. Even Mok, who's known him for years, found this behavior very bizarre and erratic. He doesn't comment on it, fortunately, deciding to stay away from his already agitated boss. Others at the Arseni building see it fit to do the same as Mok; some of them go as far as to avoid him completely.
Thee doesn't notice any of it, of course. His mind has been occupied with the most daring and outrageous purchase he's ever made in his whole life. Everything pales in comparison.
It's Peach's birthday today, and no matter how hard and long Thee begged him, Peach made him go to work. Even his strongest pouts and puppy eyes did not sway his oh-so-strict boyfriend.
"Let's celebrate in the evening. You can come to my house," Peach said in the morning, pushing Thee out of his yard.
He's so good at negotiating, Thee thought, giving up, his shoulders slumped.
Now, one hour before he finally can leave the office, Thee's hands itch to open the package he hid under the desk. It's inconspicuous and small. The box doesn't even have a brand name on it, only a tiny logo in the corner. But the photos of it, listed on the website, are burned in the back of his mind. It's a purchase Thee made on impulse, he doesn't know how it happened; his finger clicked on it itself, and his brain just followed.
It's all because he didn't have a clue what present Peach might truly like. Thee considered high-end cameras, all of them, but would Peach actually use them? Out of the two, he's the one who is a professional photographer, whose knowledge about all the equipment is a million times deeper than Thee's.
Then, he thought about buying Peach a new house, but Mok said it'd be a total failure and that he'd end up selling it off. He's right, Peach doesn't like anything expensive, much to Thee's dismay.
He had no idea what to do.
That is, until yesterday night, when he kept pulling his hair off while tossing and rolling in bed. Thee scrolled through dozens (if not hundreds) of articles and recommendations on the internet, and one of them caught his eye. He frantically closed the tab, but it refused to leave his thoughts and imagination.
A sheer lingerie set, all in black.
Thee tried to look for other options, but this one occupied his mind.
Surprise your boyfriend, make yourself a gift he can never reject, said the article on the tenth page of Google.
And Thee fell for it.
The air in his room is stuffy, even with the AC on all the way. His skin is burning with anticipation, and maybe a tinge of fear. Huge piles of documents are scattered across the desk, untouched. He can't even bring himself to breathe properly, let alone review them. Thee leaves it for tomorrow.
Mok, who brings another set of files, just lets out a sigh and nods - paperwork can wait, because today is a special day.
I just hope it will look good on me.
Thee doesn't want to open his eyes yet. Is it embarrassment or shame? No, it can't be it. Thee's confidence could move mountains and whatnot, but now standing in the tiny bathroom of Peach's house, it's up for reevaluation. How can he, Theerakit Kian Lee, tremble before a mirror?
He's never felt insecure about his looks; people sing praises of his striking features. Yet, it's as though standing on the edge of a cliff, hesitating and questioning all the actions that led right to this exact moment.
"Are you ok?" Peach's worried voice comes from the other side of the door. "You've been there for a while."
Thee's eyes fly open as he turns towards the door, covering himself as if Peach can see him. He bites his lip.
"Yeah, give me five more minutes."
They've already had dinner - him, Peach, Lookplub, and Mok. Peach has celebrated with his coworkers during the day, too, but the evening he reserved only for the close ones. Thee sulked at first; he wanted to give Peach his first cake and get to see him make a wish and blow the candles. But this arrangement isn't too bad either. Thee gets to wish Peach good night and sleep in one bed.
"Let's leave the best for last," told him Peach.
Am I suitable enough for that "best"?
Mok and Lookplub left an hour ago, and Thee couldn't come up with any more excuses to prolong the gift-giving.
Upon glancing at the mirror, Thee is met with the sight that makes him widen his eyes. In disbelief or shock, or maybe both at the same time.
Obviously, Thee saw the outfit (if it can even be called that - there is barely any fabric) while he was putting it on, but his brain couldn't put everything into one image, with his own face that is.
Now the puzzle pieces fall into place, into one coherent vision. The intricate lace embraces his body, becoming one with him. The clerk at the store truly has a master's eye, because the size is perfect, scarily so. Every millimeter of the black fabric is see-through, sheer.
Thee just blinks at his reflection, too surprised by it to do anything but stare.
The skirt - also transparent - is attached to the bra and reaches the middle of his thighs. It doesn't cling to his skin, nor do the straps of the bra. One sharp movement and they'd fall off his shoulders.
Thee slowly turns around, lips pressed into a thin line.
He never backs down from his plans, and if he sets his mind on something, he'd go all in, sinking deeper and deeper, until he's satisfied.
Even when it comes to lingerie, Thee will try his absolute best. That means wearing a thong along with the whole set.
A thong.
It's quite uncomfortable, but it is what it is. He shifts awkwardly, making a few steps back and forth.
Thee gulps and takes a mirror selfie, just to see it from a different perspective and maybe for his boyfriend to look at later.
And.
Oh.
Oh.
Wait, I look good.
He reaches for the hairspray, but stops before his fingers touch the can. The hair strands are in front of his eyes, poking them and itching his forehead. He blows on them and lifts the fringe with one hand, but it doesn't go well with the look. He lets the hair strands fall again, obstructing his view. Maybe just for today, Thee's hair doesn't need to be slicked back.
He gulps as he sets foot outside the bathroom.