Chapter 16

Singapore mornings felt different from Bangkok mornings. Cleaner somehow. From the massive hotel windows, sunlight poured between silver skyscrapers while the city slowly awakened beneath pale gold skies. Traffic moved neatly far below, tiny against polished streets and endless glass buildings reflecting morning light across the business district.

Est stood near the suite windows adjusting the cufflinks of his dark shirt calmly while the city shimmered outside. Today would be busy. Three meetings, two site visits, dinner negotiations again tonight.

Est glanced briefly toward the clock. 7:12 AM. William was probably awake already. Not because William naturally woke up early—he absolutely didn’t—but because nervous excitement usually overpowered sleep whenever something important happened.

His phone buzzed against the table almost immediately afterward.

A message from William appeared:
I think i accidentally ordered breakfast for four people.

Est stared at the screen for two seconds.

Then another message arrived.
Help.

Ten minutes later, Est stood outside William’s suite door. The door swung open almost immediately. And Est paused slightly. Because William looked unfairly attractive this early in the morning. Messy dark hair. Half-buttoned black shirt. Silver necklace resting against warm skin. Visible exhaustion beneath his eyes mixed with sleep-softened features.

Dangerous combination.

William blinked at him once before stepping aside dramatically.

“I panicked.”

Est entered calmly. And immediately understood the situation. The dining table looked catastrophic. Far too much breakfast occupied nearly every available surface: pastries, fruit, coffee, eggs, soup, pancakes, juice, several dishes Est couldn’t immediately identify.

“You ordered the entire hotel menu.”

“I thought they’d bring smaller portions.”

Fair.

Sunlight poured warmly across the suite while William rubbed one hand over his face with visible embarrassment. And annoyingly enough—Est noticed again how attractive William looked doing absolutely normal things.

“You’re staring again,” William muttered weakly.

Est almost smiled.

They ended up eating breakfast together near the windows overlooking Singapore’s skyline. And strangely—the atmosphere felt domestic enough to unsettle Est slightly. William sat across from him wearing expensive sleep clothes while drinking tea messily and complaining about how business mornings should legally begin after ten. Meanwhile sunlight wrapped around the room softly enough that the expensive hotel suite no longer felt temporary. 

At one point William reached across the table for fruit at the exact same time Est moved his hand toward the coffee. Their fingers brushed lightly. Warm. William froze immediately.

“Sorry,” William murmured automatically.

“You apologize too much.”

“That’s because you keep existing too close to me.”

Est looked toward him quietly afterward. William avoided eye contact immediately while pretending to focus aggressively on strawberries. 

Then suddenly—
“You look good today.”

The words left William. Silence followed. Interesting. Because William himself looked horrified afterward.

“You look good too,” Est answered eventually.

William looked like he stopped breathing.

Very cute.

By eight-thirty, they arrived at the first meeting location. A massive glass building overlooking part of Singapore’s commercial district. The business atmosphere settled around Est naturally the moment they entered. Calm. Sharp. Controlled.

People greeted him respectfully throughout the building while discussions immediately shifted toward investment structures and development projections. Beside him, William remained noticeably quieter. Not nervous. Observant. This side of William rarely appeared publicly. The bright chaos softened into attentiveness instead.

And somehow—that version of William looked unexpectedly attractive too. Especially when William started contributing during discussions. Not often. Not unnecessarily. But intelligently.

At one point during the presentation regarding entertainment district audience engagement, William spoke calmly:
“If the district only focuses on luxury branding, younger audiences will disconnect emotionally from it.”

The room quieted slightly afterward.

William continued naturally, “You need public-access experiences too. Art spaces. Performance areas. Interactive environments. Otherwise the project becomes visually impressive but emotionally empty.”

Sharp observation. One of the Singapore executives nodded slowly afterward.

“That’s actually similar to our internal concern.”

William hadn’t spoken emotionally. He spoke professionally. Confidently. And suddenly Est remembered what he realized about William last night: William wasn’t simply warm. Underneath everything, he was capable too.

After the meeting ended, while Est continued exchanging light conversation with the head representative of the Singapore’s side, several executives approached William directly to continue discussing entertainment integration ideas. William handled the conversations surprisingly smoothly despite occasional awkward smiles.

Handsome.
Interesting how attractive competence became when paired with warmth.

Est watched him quietly from across the lobby afterward. William stood near the windows now, dark suit fitting broad shoulders cleanly while silver jewelry flashed subtly beneath sunlight. Confident. Bright. Alive. And for one dangerous second—Est imagined what William might look like years from now fully standing beside him in the business world—or simply adult world.

Not following behind.

Beside.

~*~

The second day of meetings ended far earlier than expected. At exactly seven in the evening, the Singapore partners finally closed the last presentation folder, exchanged handshakes, and agreed to continue the remaining discussions through online coordination after Bangkok.

Smooth.

Surprisingly smooth. And fast.

By the time Est and William stepped out of the building lobby together, the city outside had already transformed into silver-blue night and glowing skyscrapers. Warm wind drifted through the streets between buildings while luxury cars passed beneath endless lines of light.

William loosened his tie immediately after exiting.

“I survived corporate warfare again.”

“You almost fell asleep during the fourth presentation.”

“I did fall asleep spiritually.”

Est glanced toward him calmly.

“You still answered their questions correctly.”

William grinned afterward, shoulders relaxing now that the formal atmosphere had disappeared. 

The past two days had shown Est sides of William he genuinely liked watching. Not only the bright, noisy version everyone knew. But the focused one too. The heir who could walk into a room filled with investors and still hold attention naturally. The man who noticed emotional gaps in projects other executives overlooked. The person who somehow balanced softness with confidence without forcing either. And perhaps what surprised Est most—William never tried to impress him directly. He simply stayed himself. 

The realization settled quietly somewhere warm beneath Est’s ribs while they entered the hotel lobby together.

Then, before William could press the elevator button—
Est spoke first.

“Let’s go to the rooftop tonight.”

William blinked.

“The rooftop?”

“We missed it yesterday.”

That was true. The first night’s meetings had dragged until nearly eleven, and afterward both of them looked too exhausted to even think about dressing nicely again for dinner upstairs. William had nearly fallen asleep while eating room service fries.

Cute memory.

“We finally have time tonight,” Est continued calmly. “Unless you’re too tired.”

William looked at him for exactly half a second before answering too quickly:

“No. I mean— no, I’m not tired.”

Pause.

Then:

“I’d go anywhere with you, actually.”

And there it was. The flirting attempt. William clearly meant to sound smooth. Confident, maybe. Instead, the last sentence came out softer than intended, immediately followed by visible regret. His ears turned red almost instantly. Very cute.

Est looked at him for a moment longer than necessary. Then deliberately stepped closer while waiting for the elevator.

“Anywhere?”

William visibly malfunctioned.

“P’Est.”

“Hm?”

“You can’t suddenly flirt back now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I spent months emotionally suffering alone.”

The elevator doors opened. Est walked inside first. And for the first time since this whole relationship started—he let himself enjoy it openly. The teasing. The warmth. William becoming shy because of him. Maybe because now, Est no longer felt like someone standing outside the relationship trying to understand it carefully. Now he was inside it too. And the realization made everything softer.

The rooftop looked beautiful at night. Far more beautiful than the photos online. Open sky stretched endlessly above the hotel while Singapore glittered beneath them in gold and white lights. The rooftop pool reflected the skyline softly, and somewhere nearby, live jazz music drifted through the warm evening air.

William leaned slightly against the railing overlooking the city while wind moved through his dark hair.

Handsome.

Really handsome.

Tonight he wore black slacks and a dark gray shirt with the sleeves rolled loosely to his forearms, silver necklace catching the rooftop lighting whenever he moved. Simple. Elegant. And unfairly attractive.

Est sat beside him near the edge lounge seating, one arm resting lazily against the back of the sofa while watching William talk about absolutely random things again. About Sea sending threatening messages demanding Singapore snacks because Keen couldn’t stop talking about it. About Keen asking whether billionaires really discussed money while drinking wine dramatically. About how William still thought one businessman from earlier looked suspiciously like a movie villain.

Bright voice.
Relaxed smile.

The city lights reflected softly inside his eyes whenever he laughed. Est found himself looking too long again.

William noticed immediately now.

“You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“That look.”

“What look?”

William pointed accusingly, “The one where you stare like you’re thinking something dangerous.”

Est almost smiled.

Almost.

“You’re attractive tonight.”

William immediately looked away toward the skyline. “God,” he muttered quietly. “You’re getting stronger at this.”

“At flirting?”

“At making me nervous.”

The rooftop wind brushed softly between them. Somewhere below, Singapore shimmered endlessly beneath the night sky. And for a while, neither of them spoke much. The silence felt comfortable now. Not awkward. Not careful. Just easy.

William eventually leaned back beside him afterward, shoulder brushing lightly against Est’s arm. Neither of them moved away.

“You know,” William said softly, still looking toward the city, “I used to think this engagement would feel one-sided forever.”

Est turned slightly toward him.

William laughed quietly after that.

“I mean… I knew you were trying. You’ve always been honest with me.” His fingers played absently with the glass in his hand. “But it always felt like I was standing closer to you than you were standing to me.”

The honesty in William’s voice settled heavily and warmly inside Est all at once. Because it was true. And William never once blamed him for it.

Est looked at William quietly beneath the rooftop lights. Then answered honestly too. “I think I’m catching up now.”

William froze. Completely. Very cute.

“You can’t just say things like that casually,” William whispered.

“But you like hearing it.”

“…That’s not the point.”

Est laughed softly under his breath. William stared immediately afterward. There it was again—that expression. The one William always made whenever Est softened unexpectedly. Like he still couldn’t fully believe this was real.

The feeling in Est’s chest tightened strangely after seeing it. Warm. Heavy. Fond.

Without thinking too much about it, Est reached out slowly and touched William’s wrist. The conversation stopped naturally after that. The rooftop suddenly felt quieter despite the music and distant conversations around them.

William looked down briefly at Est’s hand against his skin. Then back up. Their eyes met. Something shifted there. Not playful anymore.

Closer.

Est moved first. He leaned in slowly enough for William to pull away if he wanted. William didn’t. Not even slightly.

Their lips met gently beneath the Singapore night sky.

Second kiss.

But completely different from the first one in the kitchen. That kiss had been startled and accidental and sweet. This one—this felt like wanting. Slow at first. Warm lips moving carefully against each other while the city lights blurred somewhere beyond them. 

Est’s hand slid lightly upward against William’s neck, fingers brushing warm skin beneath dark hair. William exhaled softly against the kiss. Then everything changed. Because the second William kissed him back properly—William took over naturally. Not rough. Not aggressive. Just steady. Certain. His hand settled immediately at Est’s waist, pulling him closer against him while deepening the kiss slowly enough to make Est’s breathing catch.

Oh.

The warmth spreading through Est’s chest moved lower this time.

Sharper.
Heavier.

William tilted his head slightly, kissing him deeper, patient but confident in ways Est hadn’t expected despite already suspecting it before. And somehow—Est melted into it almost embarrassingly fast.

The rooftop wind drifted softly around them. Far below, Singapore glittered endlessly beneath the night. But Est barely noticed any of it anymore. Because right now—William kissed like someone who had wanted this for a very long time. And Est found himself letting William lead without resistance at all.

When they finally pulled apart slightly, William’s forehead rested briefly against his. Both breathing unevenly now.

“You have no idea,” William whispered softly, voice rougher than before, “what you do to me.”

The honesty of it wrapped warmly around Est’s chest. Then, William kissed him again before Est could properly think. Slower this time. But somehow more intimate because of it. The rooftop noises faded quietly into the background until Est could only focus on warmth—William’s hand at his waist, fingers pressing carefully through fabric, the steady way William kept drawing him closer little by little like he still couldn’t fully believe Est was willingly leaning into him now.

And perhaps Est himself still couldn’t fully believe it either. Because for months, William had always been the one reaching first. The one waiting. The one hoping. Now Est found himself kissing with equal want, and the realization alone made heat settle heavily beneath his skin.

William’s thumb brushed softly against the side of his waist again. A small movement. Yet Est’s breath caught immediately.

William paused at once.

“You okay?”

Still careful. Even now. The concern in William’s eyes nearly softened Est apart completely. Instead of answering immediately, Est lifted one hand and rested it lightly against William’s chest. Steady heartbeat beneath his palm.

Warm.

Then he leaned forward and kissed William again. The reaction was immediate. William exhaled softly against his lips before one hand slid upward along Est’s back, pulling him closer until barely any space remained between them. The kiss deepened naturally after that. Not rushed. Not clumsy. Just lingering enough to make Est feel every careful movement of William’s mouth against his own.

William kissed like someone trying very hard not to overwhelm him. And perhaps that was exactly what made Est want more. 

The realization startled him slightly. Because Est had always considered himself composed. Controlled. Yet now—he found himself gripping lightly at William’s shirt when the kiss grew warmer, body instinctively leaning into William’s touch instead of away from it. William noticed immediately. Of course he did. His hand at Est’s waist tightened slightly—not possessive, not rough, simply grounding—as he tilted his head and kissed Est deeper. The soft sound that escaped Est afterward felt embarrassingly revealing.

William froze for half a second. Then looked at him with an expression that nearly made Est lose the rest of his composure entirely. Fond. A little overwhelmed. Wanting.

“You’re really trying to kill me tonight,” William whispered softly.

Est almost smiled despite the heat rising beneath his skin.

“You survived this long.”

“Barely.”

Very cute.

Yet William’s voice sounded rougher now, steadier too in a way that made Est increasingly aware of something dangerous beneath all William’s usual softness. Because William might blush easily. Might become flustered constantly. But when it came to touching Est—William became quietly confident.

And Est liked that far more than he probably should.

~*~

[WARNING! The NC part won’t be explicit, but if you are uncomfortable with it you can skip this part.]

The kiss should have ended at the rooftop.

Reasonably.

Logically.

Instead, somehow, Est found himself standing inside the private elevator with William only minutes later, the air between them unbearably warm despite the cold polished steel surrounding them. Neither spoke much. Not because the silence felt awkward. But because every glance seemed to change the atmosphere again.

William stood beside him with one hand inside his pocket while the other still rested loosely near Est’s waist from earlier, like he had forgotten to move it away completely. And honestly—Est didn’t want him to.

The elevator doors opened softly onto their private floor.

William finally cleared his throat first.

“So…”

Est looked toward him.

“So?”

William’s ears turned slightly red again despite everything that had just happened. 

“You kissed me first.”

“I remember.”

“You never do things halfway, huh?”

Est smiled a little at that. Because technically, William had been the one deepening the kiss until Est nearly forgot they were still standing publicly on a rooftop overlooking half of Singapore. Yet somehow William still sounded like the flustered one. Very William-like.

They stopped outside Est’s suite door. Not William’s. Est noticed that immediately. And apparently William noticed too, because he blinked once before looking toward him carefully.

“Your room?”

Est unlocked the door calmly.

“Yes.”

William swallowed visibly afterward.

Very cute.

The suite lights turned on automatically the moment they entered, revealing warm gold lighting across dark wood, glass walls, and the enormous Singapore skyline stretching beyond the windows. But the atmosphere felt completely different now compared to earlier. Closer. Heavier somehow.

William stood near the entrance for half a second too long before removing his jacket slowly. Est watched the movement quietly. And once again—William looked unfairly handsome doing ordinary things.

The rolled sleeves.
The loosened collar.
The silver necklace resting against warm skin.

Attractive enough that Est’s chest tightened strangely again.

“You’re staring,” William murmured softly.

“You’re handsome.”

William immediately looked away. Undeniably cute.

“P’Est,” he muttered weakly, “you really can’t say that right now.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m trying very hard to remain respectful.”

That nearly made Est laugh. Nearly. Instead, he stepped closer. Close enough that William’s breathing changed immediately. And perhaps that was what pushed something inside Est fully over the edge tonight. Not only the attraction. Not only the warmth. But the fact that William always treated him carefully even while obviously wanting more. The realization softened something deep inside him.

Est reached up slowly and touched the side of William’s neck. Warm skin beneath his fingers. William looked at him quietly after that. Waiting. Always waiting for Est to choose first. That realization affected him more than expected. So Est kissed him again. Softer this time at first. Slower. The kind of kiss that lingered instead of rushed. 

William kissed him back immediately the moment Est touched him, one hand sliding naturally against Est’s waist while the other settled at the back of his neck. Warm hands. Uneven breathing. Soft kisses turning longer little by little. At some point, William backed Est gently against the edge of the kitchen counter without breaking the kiss.

Not forceful.

Just instinctive.

And the quiet confidence of it sent another wave of heat through Est almost unfairly fast.

William pulled back slightly afterward, breathing unevenly now.

“You still okay?”

The question came softer this time. More intimate somehow.

Est looked at him. Really looked at him. At the concern still present even now. At the restraint William continued holding onto despite clearly wanting him badly. And suddenly Est understood something with painful clarity: William had loved him long before Est learned how to return it. The thought made his chest ache warmly.

He answered honestly, “Yes.”
More than yes.

William kissed him again after that like the answer meant everything.  

And perhaps it did.

The night blurred softly afterward into warmth and closeness and lingering touches that felt increasingly difficult to walk away from. Kisses against his jaw. William’s hands sliding carefully along his waist and back. Est pulling William closer instinctively every single time they separated for air.

Nothing rushed.

That was the part Est would remember later. William never rushed him.

By the time William kissed him against the bedroom doorway, Est’s heartbeat felt almost unfairly loud. 

William paused there afterward. Still giving him time. Still waiting. 

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” William whispered.

The words settled deeply inside Est. Not because he doubted William. But because the care in William’s voice made something inside him soften completely.

Est lifted one hand slowly against William’s cheek. Then answered honestly, “I don’t want you to.”

That seemed to undo the last thread of restraint William still held. 

The next kiss felt deeper immediately. Warmer. Needier. William guided him backward carefully into the bedroom while kissing him slowly enough that Est could feel every change in pressure, every soft breath, every small sound William tried unsuccessfully to hide. And despite all the confidence William showed now—he still looked overwhelmed by Est too. That realization alone nearly destroyed whatever composure Est had left.

The city lights glowed softly through the massive windows while Singapore stretched endlessly beyond the glass. But inside the room, everything narrowed down into warmth and touch and William’s hands against him.

The careful way William treated him.
The way he looked at him.
The way he kissed him like Est was something precious instead of merely desired.

Est had spent time inside boardrooms filled with powerful men twice his age. Handled negotiations worth millions without blinking. Built himself into someone difficult to shake. Yet now—one gentle hand brushing beneath his shirt nearly unraveled him completely. The realization felt embarrassingly overwhelming.

William seemed to notice it too. Not verbally. But through the way his touch softened afterward. The way he slowed down. Warm fingers slid carefully along Est’s waist beneath the thin fabric, lingering there for a moment before William pulled back slightly just to look at him again.

And God.

That look.

Soft.
Warm.
Almost disbelieving.

Like William still couldn’t fully process the fact that Est was here willingly beneath him, kissing him back with equal want.

“You’re beautiful,” William whispered quietly before he could stop himself.

The words struck deeper than they probably should have. Because William didn’t say them flirtatiously. Didn’t say them carelessly. He sounded honest.

Est felt heat rise immediately beneath his skin.

William noticed.
Of course he noticed.

“Beautiful. Is that your way of asking to top me?” Est asked, his tone woven with a fragile ease—as if his voice hadn’t already been undone by the wild rhythm of his own heart.

William’s composure collapsed in a slow, unmistakable bloom of red—spreading from his ears down to his neck, as though even his body had betrayed him. He cleared his throat once, then again, trying to gather the fragments of his confidence before they scattered completely.

“I’m not! Uh… Probably…? Did it work?” he asked, his words faltering at the edges. “I mean… can I…?” He inhaled, steadying himself, though it did little to help. “If not, you can… uh…” the sentence faded, lost somewhere between hesitation and hope.

Fearing that William might turn beyond red, Est finally lifted his right hand—slow, certain—resting it against the back of William’s neck. He drew him in gently, closing the distance until their breaths mingled again and their noses nearly brushed.

And there, in the quiet between heartbeats, Est murmured, “I’ll let you do me.”

William froze for a fraction of a second—like the world itself had short-circuited around those words. His breath caught. His eyes widened. And then, very clearly, he forgot how to function.

“…You—” William’s  voice cracked embarrassingly on the first try. He cleared his throat, looking away as if that might help him recover his dignity.

But Est didn’t move. Didn’t take it back. And that was the moment something in William shifted. The redness that had consumed him didn’t vanish—it deepened, but now it wasn’t only embarrassment. It was something heavier. Sharper. As if the warmth in his chest had finally snapped into place.

William slowly looked back at Est. The hesitation was still there—barely. But it was no longer winning. “…You really mean that?” he asked, quieter now. Controlled. Carefully measured, like he was testing the weight of something fragile between them.

When Est didn’t back away, William exhaled once—slow, steady. And just like that, the flustered boy softened into something else entirely. His gaze sharpened. Not loud. Not rushed. Just certain. “Then don’t regret it,” he said softly. The words were gentle—but the way he looked at Est wasn’t. It was the kind of calm that didn’t ask for permission twice.

“You’re blushing,” William murmured softly, sounding dangerously fond of the discovery.

“That’s your fault.”

“I’m okay with that.”

The answer came too quickly. Too sincerely. And suddenly Est understood again why resisting William had become impossible over the past months.

William loved openly.

By the time Est found himself beneath William later, breathless and flushed beneath soft hotel lighting while William pressed lingering kisses against his skin between whispered reassurances and shaky affection—Est realized he had already lost completely.

Not in a bad way.

Not frightening.

Just—

fully.

Quietly built over years of patient affection and months of warm persistence and William continuously choosing him every single day without demanding anything back.

Now Est was choosing him too.

Est had fallen in love.

Fully.

Completely.

And perhaps the most surprising part of all—was how right it felt to finally admit it.