Chapter Text
It was his father in the photo. Neo was sure of it. But the only question was—why did his nerdy cabin mate at summer camp have a photo with his dad in it?
-
It all started in mid July, a week before Neo was about to go off for summer camp. He was snooping around in his father’s in-home office because, well, he was a bit of a nosy little brat. Neo’s father, Earth was a successful and well sought after architect in Bangkok and as such, they lived a pretty well-off life, in a beautifully decorated two-story home in Bangna, with Earth’s beloved pet cats padding around every corner.
Neo loved his life and his dad, but he always felt like there was something missing. He noticed around every July, Earth tended to get a bit mopey, and wandered into his office for long hours, paging through an old photo album. So, he decided, before he went off for summer camp, he would finally find out what was in that album that got his father so emotional.
It was easy to unlock the chest drawer in which Earth kept the photo album because Earth’s passwords were always the same for literally everything: mixxiw
(Neo had no clue what that meant, but it was just like his lame ass dad to use the same one password for everything.)
It was a man.
Well, that was something Neo didn’t exactly expect.
The entire photo album was chock full of photos of some man—with a sweet face, full cheeks, animated eyes and dark bangs. There were both candid photos and posed photos of the man (clearly taken by Earth) as well as photos of them together at various landmarks.
For a moment, Neo wondered if maybe Earth had some long lost brother, he never told him about, but there was simply no way a person could look through a photo album of their brother for hours and make such longing eyes at every picture.
It wasn’t like Neo knew much about his dad’s past relationships or anything, nor did he really want to. But it was clear this man was someone deeply important to his father.
-
Phuwin and his father Mix always had a pretty open and honest relationship, so when Phuwin was ten and asked who the man in the picture in the locket that Mix kept on his nightstand by the bed was, Mix told him.
He took a framed picture out of his nightstand and explained to Phuwin about how that person was someone he used to love very much. Phuwin asked his dad why he didn’t love the man anymore and Mix had just smiled and stroked his son’s hair.
Phuwin lived in Bangkok with his father Mix in a warm and homey apartment in Asoke with Mix’s beloved white feline fluff ball, Somporn. Mix worked as a veterinarian and had his practice downstairs, while they lived upstairs. As a result, there was always some critter or creature turning up or greeting Phuwin every morning.
Phuwin loved that about his dad’s job, but what worried him was when his dad wasn’t working. Mix was a lonely person and Phuwin could tell. He craved affection, it was like he was always yearning for someone that Phuwin couldn’t see—some ghost of a person who used to be right there beside him.
Phuwin had kept the picture of the man his dad used to love, with him at all times, just in case he somehow ran into him, by some miracle. It was highly probable that his father’s lost love lived in the city, and despite the huge population, Phuwin figured it was only a matter of time before he bumped into the mystery man. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, judging from the photo, he was tall, dark and handsome with model like features and a body to match.
Well, he couldn’t say his dad didn’t have taste.
-
“So,” Neo leaned against the doorway of the cabin, preventing Phuwin from entering. “Why do you have a picture of my dad in your bag?”
Phuwin stared at him for a moment, his glasses sliding lower on the bridge of his nose. “…You were looking through my bag?”
“Answer the question you…you dad fucker!”
Phuwin blanched. “It’s not like that, he—.”
“Oh, so you have a picture of someone’s rich and successful dad for normal reasons then?” Neo nodded, clasping his hands together. “Listen here, he already has suitors lining up from here to Tanzania, so you’re gonna have to get in line—.”
“Wait,” Phuwin stopped him in a rather dismissive tone. “You said he’s your father?”
Neo blinked, completely thrown off by how excited Phuwin suddenly looked.
“Uh, yeah, but—.”
“I’m Mix Sahaphap’s son!” Phuwin exclaimed, grasping Neo’s shoulders suddenly.
“Uh…” Neo frowned. “Am I supposed to know who that is—?”
Phuwin took off past him into the cabin and grabbed for his phone from his bag. He started frantically scanning his photos before shoving the phone in Neo’s face.
And there it was, right in front of Neo’s eyes—the man from the photo album.
“Wait…what—.”
“Our dads were in love!” Phuwin almost squealed and Neo was pretty sure he’d never seen this kid so excited before. It was weird, this was all too weird.
“What do you mean they were in love?” Neo sputtered. “Wait…I mean, yeah my dad has like, a big ass photo album of this guy in a secret drawer in his office but—.”
Phuwin grabbed Neo’s arm. “My dad has a locket with your dad’s picture in it that he keeps by his bed.”
“Oh my god.”
“I know.”
They both looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter and ending it with a huge hug.
“Are we…brothers?” Neo gasped.
“I guess? Kind of?” Phuwin nodded. “But this means we have to make our dads meet up again. I mean its obvious my dad still loves your dad, and if what you said is true, then your dad also—.”
Neo held up his hands with the serene expression of someone who was in the midst of concocting a master plan.
“Here’s what we’re going to do.”